Present
The present tense ( Latin tempus praesens , present tense ') is a grammatical tense ( Tense ) and describes the Present form of a verb . It is a tense with which a verbal happening or being is characterized as present from the speaker's point of view.
The present tense in German
The use of the present tense in German
In German, the present tense has multiple tasks. It is therefore sometimes recommended to take the expression taken from Latin grammar as a mere name:
| Designation (s) | Function, object | Example (s) |
|---|---|---|
| current present tense: | one-time or recurring events in the present | I am going to town right now. ; I go to town every Monday. |
| general present tense: | general timeless facts, e.g. B. Proverbs | The earth revolves around the sun. ; The wiser gives in. |
| resultative present tense: | Events and conditions from the past reaching into the present and future | The MP submits that ... |
| historical present : | Past events | When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, England and France were initially waiting. |
| futuristic present tense: | future events | I'm going to town the day after tomorrow. |
| epic present tense: | Present tense for the narrative | He stands up. It is eight o'clock. ... |
| scenic present tense: | Present tense at certain points to increase tension | The sun was shining. Suddenly it thunders. ... he looks around ... |
To the futuristic present tense
In German, the present tense is also used as the future tense, especially when the time information clarifies the intended point in time in the future:
- I'm going into town next Tuesday. "I'm going to play skat tonight."
The use of the future tense implies not only the temporal but also modal (intentional) components ( next Tuesday I'll be going into town ).
The formation of the present tense in German
The simple present in English
The formation of the simple present
The English present tense, the simple present , does not require any special educational rules.
E.g .: eat (= eat)
I eat
you eat
he / she / it eat s
we eat
you eat
they eat
The only verb that changes its forms is the verb be (= to be).
I am
you are
he / she / it is
we are
you are
they are
The use of the simple present
The simple present for present actions
The simple present is used for actions that are taking place in the moment. To do this, you should observe the following rule: "He, she, it - that s must be included!" . This means that in the 3rd person singular an -s is added to the finite verb form.
He drive s to Munich. (He goes to Munich.)
Do you like the film? ( Do you like the movie?)
The simple present as an imperative
The simple present is also used to express commands.
Clean up your room! ( Spaces your room on !)
Let us go! ( Let 's go!)
The simple present for future actions
As in German, the simple present can be used in conjunction with signal words for the future (tomorrow, soon, later ...) for future actions.
Tomorrow, we go to the cinema. (Morning go to the movies.)
Next year, the Olympic Games take place in Tokyo. (Next year will find the Olympic Games in Tokyo instead .)
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Duden, German Universal Dictionary , 5th edition (2019), ISBN 3-411-05505-7
- ↑ Duden, Die Grammatik , 7th edition (2005), ISBN 3-411-04047-5 , Rn. 706
- ^ According to Kessel / Reimann, Basic Knowledge of German Contemporary Language , Tübingen (Fink), 2005, ISBN 3-8252-2704-9 , p. 80 a specific use of the present tense in literature.
- ↑ According to Kessel / Reimann, Basic Knowledge of German Contemporary Language , Tübingen (Fink), 2005, ISBN 3-8252-2704-9 , p. 81 a specific use of the present tense in literature.