Simple Past

The simple past tense (Präteritum) is mainly used in written German and in storytelling, reports, and formal texts. In spoken German, it is limited to a small group of very common verbs, especially sein and haben. While the perfect tense often replaces the simple past in everyday conversation, Präteritum remains essential for understanding written German.

In this guide, you will learn:

• what the simple past tense is and how it is formed

• which verbs commonly appear in the simple past

• how usage differs between spoken and written German

• typical learner difficulties with form and register

This guide helps English-speaking learners understand the role of the simple past tense in German and recognize when it is preferred over other past forms.