Preterite / Simple Past

Use the preterite for actions that finished at a specific time, sequences of past events, and narrations of past incidents. For ongoing past background or habitual past, the imperfect or würde + infinitive is often better.

Regular verbs follow predictable endings in the preterite, making them straightforward to learn with a few example sentences. They help you quickly narrate common past actions.

Some verbs change their stem vowel in the preterite, usually in the so-called "Umlaut" verbs or in the strong verb groups; these changes affect meaning and pronunciation. Such verbs typically show the change in all forms or just in the third person.

Irregular verbs in the preterite often have unique stems and endings, and they are very common in storytelling and reports. Learning them by key examples speeds up your ability to narrate past events naturally.

Signal words help you identify when to use the preterite versus other past tenses; they often indicate completed actions or specific moments. Common markers appear in short narrations, news, and personal anecdotes.

The preterite (simple past) is your go-to tense for completed actions, sequences, and vivid past narrations. Master regular endings, learn key irregulars, and pay attention to signal words to tell clear and natural stories in German.