In German grammar, verbs can be conjugated in different tenses and moods to express various time relationships and speaker attitudes. Understanding these concepts is fundamental to mastering German.
- A tense (Zeitform) indicates when an action takes place - in the past, present, or future.
- A mood (Modus) expresses the speaker's attitude toward what they're saying. Moods convey whether something is factual, reported, hypothetical, or a command.
The Four Moods
1. Indicative Mood (Indikativ)
The indicative is used to express facts, certainties, and reality. It's the most common mood and the one you'll use for most everyday communication.
Example: Ich gehe zur Schule. (I go to school.)
2. Subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I)
Primarily used in indirect speech (reported speech) to indicate that someone else's words are being reported. It's common in formal writing, news reporting, and academic texts.
Example: Er sagt, er sei krank. (He says he is sick.)
3. Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)
Used for hypothetical situations, wishes, and polite requests. It expresses actions that are contrary to reality or uncertain.
Example: Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich reisen. (If I were rich, I would travel.)
4. Imperative (Imperativ)
Used for commands, requests, and instructions. The imperative directly addresses the listener, telling them to do something.
Example: Gib mir das Buch! (Give me the book!)
The Six Tenses
1. Present Tense (Präsens)
Used for actions happening now, habitual actions, and even future actions with a time marker. This is the most versatile tense in German.
Example: Ich lerne Deutsch. (I am learning German.)
2. Present Perfect (Perfekt)
Used for completed actions in the past, especially in conversation. It's formed with an auxiliary verb (haben or sein) and the past participle.
Example: Ich habe Deutsch gelernt. (I have learned German.)
3. Simple Past (Präteritum)
Used primarily in written German for past actions, especially in literature, formal writing, and with certain common verbs (sein, haben, modal verbs).
Example: Ich lernte Deutsch. (I learned German.)
4. Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt)
Expresses actions that occurred before another past action. It's formed with the simple past of the auxiliary verb (hatte or war) and the past participle.
Example: Ich hatte Deutsch gelernt, bevor ich nach Deutschland zog. (I had learned German before I moved to Germany.)
5. Future (Futur I)
Used for actions that will happen in the future. It's formed with the auxiliary verb werden and the infinitive.
Example: Ich werde Deutsch lernen. (I will learn German.)
6. Future Perfect (Futur II)
Expresses actions that will be completed by a certain point in the future. It's formed with werden + past participle + haben/sein.
Example: Ich werde Deutsch gelernt haben. (I will have learned German.)
Combining Tenses and Moods
The table below shows how these tenses and moods interact, using the verb "kaufen" (to buy) as an example:
Tense | Indikativ
(Indicative - Reality) | Konjunktiv I
(Subjunctive I - Indirect Speech) | Konjunktiv II
(Subjunctive II - Hypothetical) | Imperativ
(Imperative - Command) |
Präsens
(Present) | Er kauft ein neues Auto
He buys a new car | Sie sagt, er kaufe ein neues Auto
She says he is buying a new car | Wenn er Geld hätte, würde er ein neues Auto kaufen
If he had money, he would buy a new car | Kauf ein neues Auto!
Buy a new car! |
Perfekt
(Present Perfect) | Er hat ein neues Auto gekauft
He has bought a new car | Sie sagt, er habe ein neues Auto gekauft
She says he has bought a new car | Wenn er Geld gehabt hätte, hätte er ein neues Auto gekauft
If he had had money, he would have bought a new car
| N/A |
Präteritum
(Simple Past) | Er kaufte ein neues Auto
He bought a new car | (Identical to Perfekt Konjunktiv I) | (Identical to Präsens Konjunktiv II) | N/A |
Plusquamperfekt
(Past Perfect) | Er hatte ein neues Auto gekauft, bevor er in den Urlaub fuhr
He had bought a new car before he went on vacation
| (Identical to Perfekt Konjunktiv I) | (Identical to Perfekt Konjunktiv II) | N/A |
Futur I
(Future) | Er wird ein neues Auto kaufen
He will buy a new car
| Sie sagt, er werde ein neues Auto kaufen
She says he will buy a new car
| N/A | N/A |
Futur II
(Future Perfect) | Er wird das neue Auto gekauft haben, wenn wir ankommen
He will have bought the new car when we arrive
| Sie sagt, er werde das neue Auto gekauft haben
She says he will have bought the new car | N/A | N/A |
Each tense and mood will be explored in detail in the next chapters, with further examples.