Präteritumendung

Präteritumendung refers to the characteristic endings added to German verbs in the simple past tense, also known as the Präteritum. These endings are crucial for indicating the person and number of the subject performing the action.

For regular verbs, the Präteritum endings are relatively consistent. In the singular, the first person (ich) takes an -e, the second person (du) takes an -est, and the third person (er/sie/es) takes an -e. In the plural, the first person (wir) takes an -en, the second person (ihr) takes an -t, and the third person (sie) and the formal "Sie" take an -en. For example, the verb "spielen" (to play) in the Präteritum becomes "ich spielte," "du spieltest," "er spielte," "wir spielten," "ihr spieltet," and "sie spielten."

Irregular verbs, also known as strong verbs, often undergo a stem vowel change in the Präteritum in addition to taking specific endings. While some irregular verbs retain the same endings as regular verbs, others have distinct forms. For instance, "sein" (to be) in the Präteritum is "ich war," "du warst," "er war," "wir waren," "ihr wart," and "sie waren." The irregular verb "haben" (to have) in the Präteritum is "ich hatte," "du hattest," "er hatte," "wir hatten," "ihr hattet," and "sie hatten." Understanding these Präteritumendungen is fundamental to correctly conjugating German verbs and conveying past events accurately.