German Grammar
German Perfect Tense (Perfekt)
The Perfekt (perfect tense) is the most commonly used past tense in spoken German. It expresses completed actions and is formed with an auxiliary verb (haben or sein) plus the past participle. The auxiliary verb is conjugated in present tense, while the past participle is explained below.
Perfect tense structure:
- • Ich habe ein Buch gelesen. (I have read a book.)
- • Sie ist nach Berlin gefahren. (She has driven to Berlin.)
When to Use the Perfect Tense
| Use | German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Completed Actions | Ich habe die Hausaufgaben gemacht. | I have done the homework. |
| Past Events with Present Relevance | Er hat sein Handy verloren. | He has lost his phone. [and still doesn't have it] |
| General Past Experiences | Ich bin noch nie in Japan gewesen. | I have never been to Japan. |
| Conversational Past (Spoken German) | Gestern habe ich meine Freundin getroffen. | Yesterday I met my girlfriend. |
Formation: haben or sein?
The Perfekt requires choosing between haben or sein as the "auxiliary verb". If you use haben or sein depends on the verb with which it is used (the past participle):
Most verbs use haben
- • Ich habe gearbeitet. (I have worked.)
- • Sie haben das Auto gekauft. (They have bought the car.)
- • Du hast zu viel gegessen. (You have eaten too much.)
Verbs use sein when they indicate:
| Category | German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Movement from A to B | Er ist nach Hause gegangen. | He has gone home. |
| Change of state | Das Kind ist eingeschlafen. | The child has fallen asleep. |
Or when they are one of a few special verbs (sein, werden, bleiben, passieren).
Past Participle Formation
Regular (Weak) Verbs
Regular verbs form their past participle with ge- + stem + -t
| Infinitive | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| machen | gemacht | Ich habe gemacht |
| spielen | gespielt | Er hat gespielt |
| arbeiten | gearbeitet | Sie hat gearbeitet |
Irregular (Strong) Verbs
Irregular verbs form their past participle with ge- + stem (often with vowel change) + -en
→ Learn more about irregular verbs
| Infinitive | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gehen | gegangen | Er ist gegangen |
| sehen | gesehen | Ich habe gesehen |
| schreiben | geschrieben | Sie hat geschrieben |
| trinken | getrunken | Du hast getrunken |
Mixed Verbs
Some verbs combine features: ge- + stem with vowel change + -t
- • bringen → gebracht (brought)
- • denken → gedacht (thought)
- • kennen → gekannt (known)
- • wissen → gewusst (known)
Special Cases
Separable Verbs
The ge- goes between the prefix and the stem:
→ Learn more about separable verbs
- • aufmachen → aufgemacht
- • anrufen → angerufen
- • mitkommen → mitgekommen
Examples:
- • Ich habe die Tür aufgemacht. (I opened the door.)
- • Sie hat mich angerufen. (She called me.)
Inseparable Verbs
Verbs with inseparable prefixes (be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, zer-) have no ge-:
- • besuchen → besucht (visited)
- • erzählen → erzählt (told)
- • verstehen → verstanden (understood)
- • empfehlen → empfohlen (recommended)
Verbs ending in -ieren
These verbs (mostly borrowed from French) have no ge-:
- • studieren → studiert (studied)
- • telefonieren → telefoniert (phoned)
- • fotografieren → fotografiert (photographed)
Word Order
The word order is the same for all tenses using auxiliary verbs (past-perfect, perfect and future).
Main Clauses
The auxiliary verb is in position 2 (independent of where the subject is), the past participle goes to the end:
→ Learn more about the difference between main and subordinate clauses
- • Ich habe gestern einen Film gesehen.
- • Gestern habe ich einen Film gesehen.
- • Einen Film habe ich gestern gesehen.
Questions
In yes/no questions, the auxiliary verb comes first. In questions with question words, the question word comes first, followed by the auxiliary verb. The past participle always goes to the end:
- • Hast du das Buch gelesen? (Have you read the book?)
- • Was hast du gemacht? (What have you done?)
- • Wohin ist sie gegangen? (Where has she gone?)
Subordinate Clauses
In subordinate clauses, the auxiliary verb goes to the end, after the past participle:
→ Learn more about dependent clauses and their types
- • Ich weiß, dass er das Buch gelesen hat.
- • Sie fragt, ob wir schon gegessen haben.
- • Er sagt, dass sie nach Berlin gefahren ist.
Past Tense vs. Perfect Tense
Sometimes it is confusing which past to use in German. So here is a comparison of both the past tenses (Präteritum and Perfekt). Note that the difference is not the same as in English with a simple past and past progressive, even though the similar structure may make it seem like it.
| Context | Use Präteritum | Use Perfekt |
|---|---|---|
| Text Type | Written texts: novels, newspapers, reports | Spoken German, informal conversations |
| Narrative Style | Formal narratives and storytelling | Conversational past events |
| Verb Types | Modal verbs (even in speech), auxiliary verbs | Most other verbs in speech |
| Regional Preference | Northern Germany (more common) | Southern Germany/Austria/Switzerland |
Comparison examples:
- • Written: Er ging nach Hause und schlief sofort ein.
- • Spoken: Er ist nach Hause gegangen und ist sofort eingeschlafen.
- • Both contexts: Ich wollte dich anrufen. (modal verb)