Present tense

Question 1

Tell me about the present tense.

Answer 1

The present tense also called the simple present (Präsens) is used to talk about the present and future in German.

Question 2

1. What do we use the present tense to express?

Answer 2

A fact or condition in the present

Example: Das ist Felix./This is Felix.

Question 3

2. What do we use the present tense to express?

Answer 3

An action that takes place in the present once, repeatedly, or never
Example: Jeden Dienstag geht er zum Fußballtraining / Every Tuseday he goes to football practice.

Question 4

3. What do we use the present tense to express?

Answer 4

An action that expresses how long something has been going on
Example: Er spielt schon seit fünf Jahren Fußball. / He has been playing football for five years.

Question 5

4. What do we use the present tense to express?

Answer 5

A future action that is already planned or agreed upon
Example:
Nächsten Sonntag hat seine Mannschaft ein wichtiges Spiel. / Next Sunday, his team has an important game.

Question 6

To conjugate verbs in the German present tense, we remove the infinitive ending -en.

Can you name me the first exception to the present tense conjugation rules?

Answer 6

If the word stem ends in d/t, we add an e before the endings -st and -t.
Example:
warten – du wartest, er wartet, ihr wartet

This doesn’t happen when the vowel changes. (In this case the t in the 3rd person singular ending also disappears)
Example:
laden – du lädst, er lädt, ihr ladet (vowel change a to ä)
halten – du hältst, er hält, ihr haltet

Question 7

Can you name me the second exception to the present tense conjugation rule?

Answer 7

If the word stem ends in s/ß/x/z, we remove the s in the 2nd person singular ending.

Example: tanzen – du tanzt (not: tanzst)

Question 8

Can you name me the third exception to the present tense conjugation rule?

Answer 8

If the word stem ends in ie, we remove the e in the ending.
Example:
knien – ich knie, wir knien, sie knien (not: kniee, knieen)

Question 9

Can you name me the fourth exception to the present tense conjugation rule?

Answer 9

The word stem changes in some strong verbs.
Example:
lesen – ich lese, du liest, er liest, wir lesen, ihr lest, sie lesen

Question 10

Can you name me the fifth exception to the present tense conjugation rule?

Answer 10

If the infinitive ends in -eln/-ern, we remove the e in the ending.
Example:
wandern – ich wandere, wir wandern, sie wander

In the case of -eln, we can also leave off the e from the word stem in the 1st person singular.
Example:
lächeln – ich läch(e)le, wir lächeln, sie lächeln