Präteritum is used to describe past actions, mostly in writing and formal speech.
| Infinitive | Präteritum | English |
|---|---|---|
| machen | machte | made / did |
| spielen | spielte | played |
| lernen | lernte | learned |
| kaufen | kaufte | bought |
| arbeiten | arbeitete | worked |
| fragen | fragte | asked |
| wohnen | wohnte | lived |
| reisen | reiste | traveled |
| hören | hörte | heard / listened |
| zeigen | zeigte | showed |
| sagen | sagte | said |
| tanzen | tanzte | danced |
| warten | wartete | waited |
| kochen | kochte | cooked |
| leben | lebte | lived |
| Infinitive | Präteritum | English |
|---|---|---|
| gehen | ging | went |
| sehen | sah | saw |
| kommen | kam | came |
| essen | aß | ate |
| trinken | trank | drank |
| schreiben | schrieb | wrote |
| finden | fand | found |
| lesen | las | read |
| sprechen | sprach | spoke |
| fahren | fuhr | drove / went |
| schlafen | schlief | slept |
| beginnen | begann | began |
| denken | dachte | thought |
| helfen | half | helped |
| laufen | lief | ran |
Ich machte meine Hausaufgaben. → I did my homework.
Er ging gestern in den Park. → He went to the park yesterday.
Wir sahen einen Film. → We watched a movie.