Give a one-page cheat sheet for the six German tenses
Mastering German Tenses: Your Easy Guide: Give a one-page cheat sheet for the six German tenses
Here is a one-page cheat sheet for the six German tenses including their names, formation, uses, and examples:
| Tense | German Name | Formation | Use | Example (Verb: lernen - to learn) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Präsens | Conjugate verb stem + endings (-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en) | Actions happening now, habitual actions, general truths | Ich lerne (I learn / am learning) |
| Present Perfect | Perfekt | Present tense ofhaben/sein + past participle | Completed actions in the past affecting present | Ich habe gelernt (I have learned) |
| Simple Past | Präteritum | Verb stem + -te (regular) or irregular form | Past events, mainly in writing/narration | Ich lernte (I learned) |
| Past Perfect | Plusquamperfekt | Simple past ofhaben/sein + past participle | Actions completed before another past event | Ich hatte gelernt (I had learned) |
| Future I | Futur I | Present tense ofwerden + infinitive | Future actions | Ich werde lernen (I will learn) |
| Future II | Futur II | Present tense ofwerden + past participle + haben/sein | Actions that will have been completed by a future time | Ich werde gelernt haben (I will have learned) |
This summary covers essential conjugation forms and basic uses for quick reference in learning and practicing German verb tenses.