The Perfect Tense in German (Perfekt): When and How to Use It

Introduction

Mastering German tenses is key to effective communication, and one essential tense to focus on is the German perfect tense (das Perfekt). Used primarily in spoken language, it bridges the gap between past events and their relevance to the present. Unlike the present tense (Präsens), which describes current actions, and future 1 (Futur I) for upcoming actions, the perfect tense is your go-to for everyday conversations about the past.

In this guide, you’ll discover how to form and use the perfect tense with regular, irregular, and separable verbs, as well as understand the roles of haben and sein as auxiliary verbs. Packed with examples, tips, and free quizzes, this article simplifies the complexity of das Perfekt, helping you integrate it seamlessly into your German language journey.

What is the German Perfect Tense?

The German perfect tense (das Perfekt) is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past but maintain a connection to the present. This is in contrast to the simple past tense (Präteritum), which is often reserved for written language and describes actions as entirely in the past. The Perfekt, by comparison, dominates spoken German, making it an essential tense for conversational fluency.

Key Characteristics of the German Perfect Tense

1. Connection to the Present: The Perfekt highlights past actions that are relevant or have ongoing implications in the present.

• Example: Ich habe das Buch gelesen. (I have read the book.)

2. Structure of the Sentence: A unique feature of das Perfekt is the placement of the past participle at the end of the sentence. This word order is characteristic of German grammar and may take some adjustment for English speakers.

• Example: Wir haben gestern Fußball gespielt. (We played soccer yesterday.)

3. Use of Auxiliary Verbs: The German perfect tense relies on the auxiliary verbs haben (to have) or sein (to be), combined with the past participle of the main verb.

• Example: Sie ist nach Hause gegangen. (She went home.)

How to conjugate regular verbs in the present perfect tense in German

One of the intriguing aspects of the Perfekt is its composition. It’s formed by combining an auxiliary verb (either ‘haben’ or ‘sein’) with the past participle of the main verb.

The Perfekt is conjugated by using a form of haben (to have)/ or sein (to be) at the 2nd position of a main clause and the past participle at the end of the sentence.

Examples: 

• Das Mädchen hat über den Witz gelacht. The girl has laughed at the joke.
• Der Student ist nach Hause gefahren. The student has gone home.

Learning the perfect tense in German has never been easier with the help of our blog article.

Understanding the Role of the German verbs Haben and Sein

In German, the two auxiliary verbs, ‘haben‘ (to have) and ‘sein‘ (to be), are foundational to forming the perfect tense. The choice between ‘haben’ and ‘sein’ often depends on the main verb’s action and can significantly alter the sentence’s meaning.

These auxiliaries aren’t just arbitrary choices; they are deeply rooted in the semantics of the sentence. Typically, ‘haben’ is used with transitive verbs (verbs that require a direct object). However, ‘sein’ is typically reserved for intransitive verbs that denote movement (like ‘gehen’ – to go) or a change of state (such as ‘werden’ – to become).

When to use sein

• Locomotion: If you can go/move from A to B. These are often verbs of movement e.g swim, run, jump, go, drive
• The verbs “to happen”: passieren/geschehen
• Change of a condition: e.g. Das Eis ist geschmolzen. The ice is melted

Examples: 

• Der Junge ist heute zur Schule gegangen. The boy has gone today to school.
• Das Mädchen ist über das Hindernis gesprungen. The girl has jumped over the obstacle.
• Die Situation ist passiert. The situation has happened.
• Die Frau ist aufgestanden. The woman has got up.

You can read more about the German verb “sein” in detail: here.

When to use haben

In all other cases haben is used e.g transitive verbs.

Examples: 

• Ich habe die Aufgabe gemacht. I have done the task.
• Du hast dem Studenten geholfen. You have helped the student.
• Inge hat lange gelesen. Inge has read for a long time.

Forming the past participle (Partizip ii) of the Perfekt

The past participle form is formed by adding a “ge” and “t” to the word stem for regular verbs (weak verbs).

Examples:

• lachen (laugh) =  gelacht
• machen (make) = gemacht

German Irregular verbs

There are two kinds of irregular verbs: strong verbs or mixed verbs for the perfect in German. The strong verbs have an “en” ending instead of an “t”.

Examples: 

• fahren (to drive) = gefahren
• fangen (catch) = gefangen
• rufen (call) = gerufen

Mixed verbs have a change of the vowel and are more difficult to form. These verbs change their verb stem.

Examples: 

• denken = gedacht
• gehen = gegangen
• helfen = geholfen

It makes sense to learn the irregular verbs. Here is a good list.

How to use the perfect in German with separable verbs

Verbs with separable prefixes are using for example one of these prefixes:

•  ab, an, auf, aus, bei, ein, her, hin, herunter, mit, nach, um, weg, zu

Normally the Perfekt is created by placing a “ge” after the prefix and a “t” or “en” at the end. The same rules are applied here: In case the verb is regular, then a “t” is palced at the end.

1. – machen = gemacht
2. ausmachen = ausgemacht

Examples: 

• Der Student ist von der Party weggegangen. The student has left the party.
• Der Bus ist um 8 Uhr abgefahren. The bus has left at 8 o’clock.
• Die Freunde haben über den Urlaub nachgedacht. The friends have been thinking about the vacation.
• Die Mutter hat das Licht ausgemacht. The mother has turned off the light.

Modal verbs

The present perfect differs for Modal verbs in German:

• Form of “haben”+ “infinitive” + “infinitive of modal verb”

Examples: 

• Der Schüler hat die Aufgabe machen müssen. The student had to do the task.
• Die Studenten haben für die Klausur lernen müssen. The students had to study for the exam.
• Der Junge hat sein Zimmer aufräumen sollen. The boy was supposed to tidy his room.

Note: It is not common to use use the perfect tense with Modal verbs in German. People are using the simple past instead (also for English).

Differences between spoken and written German language

In the spoken language and informal German the perfect tense is used much more than the simple past. These two tenses are in English equally difficult. In German on the other hand, the simple past is more difficult because it has more irregular verbs.

FAQ:

Why is the Perfekt important?

• It is important because people use it a lot in daily life.

How is the past participle formed?

• Regular verbs add a “ge” plus a “t” to the word stem.

How can I practise the German Perfect Tense in a quiz or in exercises?

• You can find a free quiz: here.