“Präteritum” is a German tense that is used to talk about past events. In this article, we will explain how to form the Präteritum for regular, irregular, and mixed verbs for a B1 level learner.
Let’s start with regular verbs. Regular verbs are verbs that follow a specific pattern when conjugated in the past tense. The pattern is formed by adding “-te” to the infinitive form of the verb. For example, the infinitive form of the verb “arbeiten” is “to work.” To form the Präteritum, we add “-te” to the infinitive form, so “arbeitete.”
Here are some more examples of regular verbs in the Präteritum:
“spielen” (to play) becomes “spielte”
“reden” (to talk) becomes “redete”
“lernen” (to learn) becomes “lernte”
Next, let’s look at irregular verbs. Irregular verbs do not follow the regular pattern and need to be learned by heart. Some common irregular verbs in the Präteritum include:
“sein” (to be) becomes “war”
“haben” (to have) becomes “hatte”
“werden” (to become) becomes “wurde”
Finally, let’s talk about mixed verbs. Mixed verbs are verbs that follow both the regular and irregular pattern. For example, the verb “essen” (to eat) is a mixed verb. In the Präteritum, the verb “aß” is used for “Ich” and “er/sie/es” while the form “aßen” is used for “wir,” “ihr,” and “sie.”
Here are some more examples of mixed verbs in the Präteritum:
“geben” (to give) becomes “gab” for “Ich” and “er/sie/es” and “gaben” for “wir,” “ihr,” and “sie.”
“kennen” (to know) becomes “kannte” for “Ich” and “er/sie/es” and “kannten” for “wir,” “ihr,” and “sie.”
“nehmen” (to take) becomes “nahm” for “Ich” and “er/sie/es” and “nahmen” for “wir,” “ihr,” and “sie.”
In conclusion, the Präteritum is an important tense to learn in German. Regular verbs follow a specific pattern by adding “-te” to the infinitive form, while irregular verbs need to be learned by heart. Mixed verbs follow both the regular and irregular pattern. By understanding the patterns of these different verb forms, you will be able to communicate effectively in German about past events.