tenses.md

The Six German Tenses

• In the active and passive voices
• With and without modal verbs.

Examples

present-simple (Präsens)

Describes something that is currently happening.

- active-voice                  (present)
    - Ich spiele das Spiel.                         ("I play the game.", "I am playing the game.")

- modal-active-voice            (MV-present + infinitive)
    - Ich muss das Spiel spielen.                   ("I need to play the game.")

- passive-voice                 (werden-present + past-participle)
    - Das Spiel wird von mir gespielt.              ("The game is played by me.")

- modal-passive-voice           (MV-present + past-participle + werden)
    - Das Spiel muss gespielt werden.               ("The game must be played.")

present-perfect (Perfekt)

Describes something that has already occurred.

- active-voice                  (haben/sein-present + past-participle)
    - Ich habe das Spiel gespielt.                  ("I have played the game.")
    - Das Spiel ist um 8 Uhr gewesen.               ("The game was at 8 a.m.")

- modal-active-voice            (haben/sein-present + infinitive + MV-infinitive)
    - Ich habe das Spiel spielen müssen.            ("I needed to play the game.")

- passive-voice                 (sein-present + past-participle + "worden")
    - Das Spiel ist von mir gespielt worden.        ("The game has been played by me.")

- modal-passive-voice           (sein-present + past-participle + "werden" + MV-infinitive)
    - Das Spiel ist von mir gespielt werden müssen. ("The game must be played by me.")

past-simple (Präteritum)

Describes something that has already occurred.

- active-voice                  (preterite)
    - Ich spielte das Spiel.                        ("I played the game.", "I was playing the game.", "I did play the game.", "I used to play the game.")
    - Das Spiel war um 8 Uhr.                       ("The game was at 8 am.")

- modal-active-voice            (MV-preterite + infinitive)
    - Ich musste das Spiel spielen.                 (I needed to play the game.)

- passive-voice                 (wurden + past-participle)
    - Das Spiel wurde von mir gespielt.             (The game was played by me.)

- modal-passive-voice           (MV-preterite + past-participle + "werden")
    - Das Spiel musste von mir gespielt werden.     (The game needed to be played by me.)

past-perfect (Plusquamperfekt)

Describes something that, at a previous point in time, had already occurred.

- active-voice                  (haben-preterite + past-participle)
    - Ich hatte das Spiel gespielt.                 (I had played the game).

- passive-voice                 (waren + past-participle + "worden")
    - Das Spiel war von mir gespielt worden.        (The game had been played by me.)

future-simple (Futur I)

Describes an event that will occur in the future.

- active-voice                  (werden + infinitive)
    - Ich werde das Spiel spielen.                   (I will play the game.)

- passive-voice                 (werden + past-participle + "werden")
    - Das Spiel wird von mir gespielt werden.       (The game will be played by me.)

- modal-passive-voice           (werden + past-participle + "werden" + MV infinitive)
    - Das Spiel wird gespielt werden müssen.        (The game will need to be played.)

future-perfect (Futur II)

Describes an event that will have occurred at a future point in time.

- active-voice                  (werden + past-participle + "haben"/"sein")
    - Ich werde das Spiel gespielt haben.           (I will have played the game.)
    - Ich werde zum Spiel gegangen sein.            (I will have gone to the game.)

- passive-voice                 (werden + past-participle + "worden sein")
    - Das Spiel wird von mir gespielt worden sein.  (The game will have been played by me.)

Remember

Indicating the Acting Agent in Passive Voice Tenses ("von" and "durch")

When constructing a phrase in the Passive Voice that includes the acting agent, it is indicated by using "von" or "durch". If the agent is animate, use "von". If the agent is inanimate, use "durch".

gewesen, geworden, worden

ENG	DEU	Voice
it was < adjective or prepositional phrase >	es ist ____ gewesen	present-perfect active
it has become < adjective >	es ist ____ geworden	present-perfect active
it has been < predicate >	es ist ____ worden	present-perfect passive
it had been < predicate >	es war ____ worden	past-perfect passive
it will have been < predicate >	es wird ____ worden sein	future-perfect passive