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Tense guide
Präsens (Present)

Language: German
Tense:
Person:

Practice conjugation drills

Introduction

This is the most common and versatile verb form in German. While it is often called the "present tense", it can be used to talk about the present, the future, and even the past. Understanding its different uses is a key step in speaking German naturally.

The most basic use is for actions happening right now. It describes what is going on at the moment of speaking.

Ich lese gerade ein Buch.
(I am reading a book right now.)
Er wartet jetzt auf den Bus.
(He is waiting for the bus now.)
Was machst du?
(What are you doing?)
Sie hört Musik.
(She is listening to music.)

It is also used for habits and repeated actions. These are things that happen regularly or all the time.

Wir gehen jeden Sonntag spazieren.
(We go for a walk every Sunday.)
Er trinkt immer Kaffee am Morgen.
(He always drinks coffee in the morning.)
Ich spiele oft Fußball.
(I often play soccer.)
Sie besucht manchmal ihre Großeltern.
(She sometimes visits her grandparents.)

You use it to state general truths and facts. These are statements that are always true and not limited to a specific time.

Die Erde dreht sich um die Sonne.
(The Earth revolves around the sun.)
Wasser kocht bei 100 Grad Celsius.
(Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.)
Fische leben im Wasser.
(Fish live in water.)

You can also use this tense to talk about the future. To make the meaning clear, you almost always add a word that points to the future, like "tomorrow" or "next week". This is very common in spoken German.

Wir fahren morgen nach Berlin.
(We are driving to Berlin tomorrow.)
Ich rufe dich später an.
(I will call you later.)
Der Film beginnt in zehn Minuten.
(The movie starts in ten minutes.)
Was machst du nächstes Wochenende?
(What are you doing next weekend?)
Sie kommt bald.
(She is coming soon.)

This tense describes an action that started in the past and continues into the present. This is often used with the word seit ("since" or "for").

Ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier.
(I have been living here for three years.)
Er lernt seit 2020 Deutsch.
(He has been learning German since 2020.)
Wir kennen uns seit der Schule.
(We have known each other since school.)

Be careful! English uses a different form for this ("I have been living"). In German, you must use this simple present form with words like seit.

Finally, it can be used to tell a story about the past to make it sound more exciting and immediate. This is common in news headlines and lively storytelling.

1989 fällt die Berliner Mauer.
(In 1989, the Berlin Wall falls.)
Ich gehe gestern in den Supermarkt und dann sehe ich meinen alten Freund.
(So yesterday, I go into the supermarket, and then I see my old friend.)

Conjugation patterns