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German has two tenses which equate to the English past tense: Präteritum (simple past) and Perfekt(present perfect)
Präteritum
ich sagte
Du sagtest
er/sie/es sagte
wir sagten
Ihr sagtet
sie/Sie sagten
Perfekt
ich habe gesagt
Du hast gesagt
er/sie/es hat gesagt
wir haben gesagt
Ihr habt gesagt
sie/Sie haben gesagt
Although the present perfect is technically incorrect, it is often used by native German speakers in lieu of the simple past. For example, the phrase I slept well last night in Germanwill (almost) always be formed using the (incorrect) present perfect (Ich habe heute Nacht gut geschlafen - I have slept well last night), rather than the (correct) simple past (Ich schlief heute Nacht gut - I slept well last night)
or in the case of the verb sagen:
(the incorrect) Ich habe ihr gesagt instead of (the correct) ich sagte ihr
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe formation of German verbs in the past tense can be slightly confusing as they can take on one of two forms (the correct simple past tense and the, from native German speakers preferred, incorrect present perfect), both of which can equate to the English 'simple' past tense:
Ich wusste es!- I knew it!
Ich habe es gewusst - I knew it! (although this actually means I have known it!)
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe formation of German verbs in the past tense can be slightly confusing as they can take on one of two forms (the correct simple past tense and the, from native German speakers preferred, technically incorrect present perfect), both of which can equate to the English 'simple' past tense:
Ich wusste es!- I knew it! (simple past tense)
Ich habe es gewusst - I knew it! (although this actually translates as I have known it!) (present perfect)
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Is there any website available to convert German from present tense to past tense?
Reverso is a website that will conjugate any German verb in all tenses including the past tense (Präteritum). Just click on the link below and enter the verb.
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By is not a verb and does not have a past tense. Buy is a verb, and the past tense is bought.
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The past tense of the verb 'am' is 'was' or 'were.' The verb 'am' is derived from the verb 'to be.'
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No, a positive noun is not a past tense verb. A positive noun refers to a person, place, thing, or idea, while a past tense verb indicates an action that has already occurred in the past. These are two different parts of speech with distinct functions in language.
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The past-tense verb for "be" is "was" or "were" depending on the subject.
What is the past tense of the verb slept?
Slept is the past tense of the verb sleep, so there is no past tense for it.
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What is the past tense of inactive?
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The term "planned" is the past tense of the verb "plan." It indicates that an action was intended or arranged at a specific time in the past. It refers to an action that was planned and completed before the current time.
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"Past" is not a verb, therefore it cannot have a past tense. "Passed" is a verb, in the past tense.
