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German Grammar Explained /
The usage of the present tense
Declensions and word order are quite hard, we admit it. But have you realized how easy German verb tenses are? We hardly ever talk about them!
Where English has several future and past tenses, German uses the good old present tense.
I go. | → | Ich gehe. |
I am going. | → | Ich gehe. |
I will go. | → | Ich gehe. |
I'm going to go. | → | Ich gehe. |
Apart from this, the only other tense you really need in spoken language is the Perfekt, which is only used when the action was completed in the past.
Past action | I lived here 2 years ago. (Simple past) | Ich habe vor 2 Jahren hier gelebt.
(Perfekt) |
Past action (recent) | I've just moved here.
(Present perfect) | Ich bin gerade hergezogen.
(Perfekt) |
Started in the past, lasting til now. | I've been working here for 2 years.
(Present perfect) | Ich arbeite hier seit 2 Jahren. (!)
(Present) |
Maybe now it finally makes sense why English speakers call this last tense "Present Perfect". Because it somehow has a link to the present. Since there is no such thing in German, it's just "Present Perfect".