What you used to do: perfect tense with 'ihr' (you, familiar pl.) and 'früher'
I know how to form and use the perfect tense in German, including the 'ihr' form, to discuss past events with other people.
- Year 9
What you used to do: perfect tense with 'ihr' (you, familiar pl.) and 'früher'
I know how to form and use the perfect tense in German, including the 'ihr' form, to discuss past events with other people.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Form the perfect tense with the present tense of 'haben' or 'sein', plus a past participle at the end of the statement.
- Form most past participles by adding 'ge-' and '-t' around the verb stem. '-ieren' verbs do not add 'ge-'.
- Verbs with prefixes 'be-', 'ver-', 'er-' don't add 'ge-' to form past participles. Their prefixes are never stressed.
- The subject pronoun 'ihr' means 'you (familiar, plural)'.
- Use the adverb 'früher' to translate 'used to' from English, e.g., 'Ich habe früher getanzt, aber jetzt nicht mehr.'.
Keywords
Perfect tense - verb tense that describes completed actions in the past, e.g.,'I (have) said', 'she (has) played'
Past participle - verb form that forms the perfect tense, together with the auxiliary verbs 'haben' or 'sein'
Ihr - subject pronoun meaning 'you (familiar, plural)'
Früher - adverb meaning 'previously, in former times, in the past'
Common misconception
All past participles are formed the same way.
Weak verbs form their past participles by sandwiching 'ge-' and '-t' around the verb stem. Strong verbs sandwich 'ge-' and '-en' around the verb stem, but verbs with prefixes 'be-', 'ver-', 'er-', or ending '-ieren', do not add 'ge-'.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the German and the English
Q2.Match the German and the English.
Q3.Match the German and the English.
