Which verb tenses are used in spoken German?

In spoken German, people primarily use Präsens (present tense) and Perfekt (present perfect):

Präsens (Present Tense) in Spoken German:

• The Präsens is often used to express not just the present but also future actions when the context makes it clear. For example:
  • "Ich gehe morgen ins Kino." – "I am going to the cinema tomorrow."
  • "Ich esse jetzt." – "I am eating now."

Perfekt (Present Perfect) in Spoken German:

• The Perfekt is used in spoken German for past actions, even when you’re referring to something that happened before another event in the past. In written German, the Präteritum (simple past) would be more common, but in spoken language, the Perfekt is preferred.
  • "Ich habe das Buch gelesen." – "I have read the book."
  • "Er ist nach Hause gegangen." – "He has gone home."

Futur I

 The Futur I (future tense) is used in spoken German, but its usage is a bit different from what you might expect. While in many cases, the Präsens (present tense) is used to talk about the future in spoken language (e.g., "Ich gehe morgen ins Kino" – "I'm going to the cinema tomorrow"), the Futur I is often used in spoken German to express assumptions, predictions, but it is not limited to them—it’s also used to describe regular future actions in more formal or empathetic contexts when you want to emphasize the future aspect.

Futur II

The Futur II (Future Perfect) is rarely used in spoken German. In everyday conversation, Germans typically use Futur I (Future Tense) to talk about the future, even if the meaning implies something that will have been completed in the future.

Futur II is primarily used in written language, formal contexts, and more precise situations where the completion of an action in the future is important to emphasize.

For example:

• Futur I: Ich werde das Buch lesen. – "I will read the book."
• Futur II: Ich werde das Buch gelesen haben. – "I will have read the book."

Präteritum

The Präteritum (simple past) is not commonly used in spoken German, especially in everyday conversations. Instead, Germans tend to use the Perfekt (present perfect) in most spoken contexts. For example, instead of saying:

• "Ich sah einen Film" (I saw a movie), which is Präteritum, they would say:
• "Ich habe einen Film gesehen" (I have seen a movie), which is Perfekt.

However, there are some exceptions:

Common verbs like sein, haben, werden, and modal verbs* (like können, müssen, dürfen) are often used in Präteritum, even in spoken German. For example:

"Ich war krank" (I was sick).

"Er musste arbeiten" (He had to work).

In written German—especially in narratives, literature, news, and formal writing—the Präteritum is still widely used, as it creates a more formal or literary tone.

Plusquamperfekt

The Plusquamperfekt (past perfect) is rarely used in spoken German, especially in casual conversation. It is more commonly found in written German, such as in narrative texts, literature, or formal contexts.

In everyday speech, Germans often use the Perfekt (present perfect) to describe past actions, even if those actions happened before another past event. For example:

• Instead of saying:
  • "Ich hatte das Buch gelesen, bevor er kam." (I had read the book before he came.)
  In spoken German, you'd more likely hear:
  • "Ich habe das Buch gelesen, bevor er kam." (I read the book before he came.)

State Passive

The passive voice is used in spoken German, but it is generally less common than in written German. In spoken language, Germans tend to prefer the active voice or sometimes use a reflexive construction to express actions in a more natural way. However, the passive voice is still used in spoken German when the focus is on the action or the object of the action rather than the subject.