Schien

Schien is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the German verb scheinen. It can express two related ideas: that something shone or emitted light, and that something appeared or seemed a certain way. In English, the senses correspond to “shone” (light) and “seemed” (perception or appearance).

In terms of grammar, the Präteritum forms are: ich schien, du schienst, er/sie/es schien, wir schienen, ihr schient, sie schienen. The past participle is geschienen, and the common perfect tense is hat geschienen, as in Die Sonne hat geschienen. In modern speech, Perfekt is often preferred for past events, while Präteritum remains common in writing, journalism, and formal narration.

Etymology and related languages place scheinen in the broader West Germanic family. It is cognate with Dutch schijnen and English shine, sharing a common Proto-Germanic root related to light and appearance.

Usage tips: schien is frequently found in expressions such as Es schien, als ob … (It seemed as if …) or Die Luft schien klar zu sein (The air seemed clear). When describing past light or weather, schien is used the same way as “shone” in English. When describing perception or appearance, it often translates as “seemed.”

See also: scheinen; schienen.