German Tenses--An Overview (Part I.2)

continued from Dec 14, 2011

Konjunktiv I == Subjunctive
Präsens == (present)

ich frage == (that) I ask
du fragest == (that) you ask
er/sie/es frage == (that) he/she/it ask
wir fragen == (that) we ask
ihr fraget == (that) you ask
sie/Sie fragen == (that) they ask ((that) you ask—formal address)

Vergangenheit == (Perfekt) (past)

ich habe gefragt == (if) I asked
du habest gefragt == (if) you asked
er/sie/es habe gefragt == (if) he/she/it asked
wir haben gefragt == (if) we asked
ihr habet gefragt == (if) you asked
sie/Sie haben gefragt == (if) they asked ((if) you asked—formal address)

Futur I == (future I)

ich werde fragen == (if) I were to ask/should ask
du werdest fragen == (if) you were to ask/should ask
er/sie/es werde fragen == (if) he/she/it were to ask/should ask
wir werden fragen == (if) we were to ask/should ask
ihr werdet fragen == (if) you were to ask/should ask
sie/Sie werden fragen == (if) they were to ask/should ask
((if) you were to ask/should ask—formal address)

Note: The subjunctive future with “should” is mostly used in BE.

Futur II == (future II)

ich werde gefragt haben
du werdest gefragt haben
er/sie/es werde gefragt haben
wir werden gefragt haben
ihr werdet gefragt haben
sie/Sie werden gefragt haben

Note: German Konjunktiv I Futur II doesn’t seem to have a corresponding English verb tense (on the other hand, the English pluperfect subjunctive doesn’t have a corresponding German verb tense). It is rarely used in modern German anymore.

Konjunktiv II == Conditional
Präsens (Präteritum/Futur I) == (present)

ich fragte/würde fragen == I would ask
du fragtest/würdest fragen == you would ask
er/sie/es fragte/würde fragen == he/she/it would ask
wir fragten/würden fragen == we would ask
ihr fragtet/würdet fragen == you would ask
sie/Sie fragten/würden fragen == they would ask (you would ask—formal address)

Note: Regular verbs have the same forms in Konjunktiv II Präsens as in Präteritum, therefore the modal verb „werden“ is used in its conditional form (würde etc) together with the infinitive to differentiate Konjunktiv II from Präteritum.

Vergangenheit (Plusquamperfekt/Futur II) == (past)

ich hätte gefragt/würde gefragt haben == I would have asked
du hättest gefragt/würdest gefragt haben == you would have asked
er/sie/es hätte gefragt/würde gefragt haben == he/she/it would have asked
wir hätten gefragt/würden gefragt haben == we would have asked
ihr hättet gefragt/würdet gefragt haben == you would have asked
sie/Sie hätten gefragt/würden gefragt haben == they would have asked
(you would have asked—formal address)

Note: In both German Konjunktiv II tenses, both given alternatives (the „natural“ one and the one using „würde“) are equally valid and are used without difference in meaning.

Imperativ == Imperative

Frag(e)! == Ask!
Fragen wir! == Let’s ask!
Fragt! == Ask!
Fragen Sie! == Ask! (formal address)

Infinitivformen == Participles
Präsens == (present)

fragend asking

Perfekt == (past)

gefragt == asked

Watch out for Part II.1 next week!

German Tenses--An Overview (Part I.1)

Active Tenses, Regular Verb, with “haben”: Indicative Mode

“fragen” is a regular verb which builds its compound tenses with the modal verb “haben” (to have).

Infinitiv == (infinitive)

fragen == (to ask)

Indikativ == Indicative Mode

Präsens == (simple present)

ich frage == I ask

du fragst == you ask

er/sie/es fragt == he/she/it asks

wir fragen == we ask

ihr fragt == you ask

sie/Sie fragen == they ask (you ask—formal address)

Präteritum == (simple past)

ich fragte == I asked

du fragtest == you asked

er/sie/es fragte == he/she/it asked

wir fragten == we asked

ihr fragtet == you asked

sie/Sie fragten == they asked (you asked—formal address)

Perfekt == (present perfect)

ich habe gefragt == I have asked

du hast gefragt == you have asked

er/sie/es hat gefragt == he/she/it has asked

wir haben gefragt == we have asked

ihr habt gefragt == you have asked

sie/Sie haben gefragt == they have asked (you have asked—formal address)

Plusquamperfekt == (past perfect)

ich hatte gefragt == I had asked

du hattest gefragt == you had asked

er/sie/es hatte gefragt == he/she/it had asked

wir hatten gefragt == we had asked

ihr hattet gefragt == you had asked

sie/Sie hatten gefragt == they had asked (you had asked—formal address)

Futur I == (future I)

ich werde fragen == I will ask

du wirst fragen == you will ask

er/sie/es wird fragen == he/she/it will ask

wir werden fragen == we will ask

ihr werdet fragen == you will ask

sie/Sie werden fragen == they will ask (you will ask—formal address)

Futur II == (future II)

ich werde gefragt haben == I will have asked

du wirst gefragt haben == you will have asked

er/sie/es wird gefragt haben == he/she/it will have asked

wir werden gefragt haben == we will have asked

ihr werdet gefragt haben == you will have asked

sie/Sie werden gefragt haben == they will have asked (you will have asked—formal address)


Since I am currently writing up a summary of German verb tenses (and likely more grammar topics to follow) for my sweetheart, who started learning German, I will dedicate Wednesdays to "German Grammar Wednesday" for the time being (read: until I run out of topics). If you have particular questions or want to have a particular grammar topic covered, please let me know.

Next week: Part I.2 (Subjunctive and Imperative of "fragen")