GermanSentence

A1 Tense

Present Tense

Präsens

The present describes what is happening now, what happens habitually, and very often what is going to happen, since German uses the present with a time expression where English would use a future.

Sentences that use it(30 of 83)

Real sentences from the lexicon. The marked words are what show the rule.

  • central to this sentence B2

    Hitzewelle, Dürre, Brände: Klimaschutz wird immer dringlicher.

    Heatwave, drought, fires: climate protection is becoming ever more urgent.

    German uses the present tense of 'werden' where English would say 'is becoming'.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B1

    Von Nicole Markwald und Claudia Buckenmaier, ARD-Hauptstadtstudio Seit einer Woche ist Lukas Eichelter jetzt in Khartum.

    By Nicole Markwald and Claudia Buckenmaier, ARD capital studio. Lukas Eichelter has now been in Khartum for a week.

    German uses the present with seit for a state that began in the past and continues, where English uses the present perfect.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    In vielen Ländern werden die Mittel gekürzt - auch durch die Bundesregierung.

    In many countries the funds are being cut — also by the federal government.

    Present tense of 'werden' plus participle expresses an ongoing passive process.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    Der heiße Sommer hat für Tausende Sterbefälle gesorgt.

    The hot summer caused thousands of deaths.

    The perfect tense is formed with the present tense of 'haben' plus the past participle at the end of the clause.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    Die Forderung lautet: "Nord Stream aufdrehen".

    The demand is: "Turn Nord Stream up (to full capacity)".

    'Lautet' is the third person singular present form agreeing with the singular subject 'Forderung'.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    Nun ist die "Sommerpause" des Kanzlers offiziell beendet - mit seinem Besuch in der Gemeinde Hürtgenwald.

    The Chancellor's 'summer break' is now officially over - with his visit to the municipality of Hürtgenwald.

    Sein in the present tense combines with a past participle to express a resulting state rather than an event.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Die einen, wie Gesundheitsminister Carsten Linnemann (CDU), gehen joggen, die anderen, wie Finanzminister Lars Klingbeil (SPD), fahren eine Runde mit dem Rennrad.

    Some, like Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU), go jogging, while others, like Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD), go for a ride on their racing bikes.

    The plain present describes what these politicians habitually do; German uses it where English might prefer the progressive.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Da flüchten sich viele zu Rechtsaußenparteien und fallen autoritären Versprechen anheim." Der Sachsen-Anhalt-Monitor 2025 zeigt diesen Widerspruch: 90 Prozent sind mit ihrem Leben zufrieden, der Zukunft des Landes trauen nur 17 Prozent etwas zu.

    That is why many flee into far-right parties and fall prey to authoritarian promises." The Saxony-Anhalt Monitor 2025 shows this contradiction: 90 percent are satisfied with their lives, but only 17 percent trust the future of the state.

    All finite verbs are in the present tense, standard for reporting current findings.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Kurz vor der Wahl in Sachsen-Anhalt führt die AfD die Umfragen klar an.

    Shortly before the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is clearly leading in the polls.

    The present tense reports current poll standings.

    tagesschau.de
  • B1

    Das Signal: Wir wollen fit sein für das, was da kommt.

    The signal: we want to be fit for whatever is coming.

    Both finite verbs are present tense, here also expressing the near future.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Neuhardenberg Es ist früh morgens, noch vor 7 Uhr, da trainieren die Kabinettsmitglieder schon.

    Neuhardenberg. It is early in the morning, still before 7 o'clock, and already the cabinet members are training.

    Both clauses use the present tense to describe what is happening now.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Denn vor allem die Wirtschaft wird ungeduldig.

    For above all the economy is becoming impatient.

    Present of 'werden' expresses an ongoing change of state, 'is becoming'.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Wir wollen Arbeitsplätze sichern, neue schaffen und wir wollen unsere sozialen Sicherungssysteme auf Vordermann bringen.

    We want to secure jobs, create new ones, and we want to bring our social security systems up to scratch.

    German uses the present tense of the modal to express present intention about the future.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Finanzminister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) sieht die Bundesregierung nach der gemeinsamen Kabinettsklausur in Neuhardenberg auf einem guten Weg.

    Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) sees the federal government as being on a good path after the joint cabinet retreat in Neuhardenberg.

    The finite verb is the 3rd person singular present of sehen.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Nach zwei Tagen Kabinettsklausur gibt sich Vizekanzler Klingbeil kämpferisch.

    After two days of cabinet retreat, Vice-Chancellor Klingbeil puts on a combative show.

    The simple present is used in journalistic style for current events.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Das zeigt ein Eckpunktepapier, das dem ARD-Hauptstadtstudio vorliegt.

    A key-points paper that has been passed to the ARD capital studio shows this.

    Simple present is the normal tense for reporting current facts in German news prose, where English often uses the perfect.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Und der Druck auf die Bundesregierung wächst, weitere Details auszuarbeiten und die geplanten Vorhaben auch umzusetzen.

    And the pressure on the federal government is growing to work out further details and also to implement the planned projects.

    The present tense is used to describe an ongoing development, as is common in news German.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Deutlich mehr Migranten und abgelehnte Asylbewerber verlassen offenbar freiwillig Deutschland.

    Significantly more migrants and rejected asylum seekers are apparently leaving Germany voluntarily.

    German uses the present tense here where English would often prefer the progressive, since the process is ongoing.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Mehrere Verbände sehen Deutschland nicht gewappnet für Hitzewellen und fordern, dass das Thema ins Zentrum der Regierungspolitik rückt.

    Several associations see Germany as unprepared for heatwaves and demand that the topic move to the centre of government policy.

    All finite verbs are in the present tense reporting current claims.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Noch immer ist die Lage beim Feuer im Hohen Venn im deutsch-belgischen Grenzgebiet angespannt.

    The situation with the fire in the High Fens in the German-Belgian border area is still tense.

    The state of affairs is described as currently valid, using the present of 'sein'.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Auch die Bundeswehr unterstützt die Löscharbeiten.

    The Bundeswehr is also supporting the firefighting efforts.

    The plain present describes the current ongoing support.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Von Katrin Aue, ARD-Hauptstadtstudio 260 Seiten hat das Klimaschutzprogramm der Bundesregierung, darin kommt rund 190-mal das Wort "sozial" vor.

    By Katrin Aue, ARD capital studio. The federal government's climate protection programme runs to 260 pages, and the word 'sozial' (social) appears in it around 190 times.

    Both clauses state current facts using the present tense.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Die Bekämpfung des Brandes im Naturschutzgebiet Hohes Venn in Belgien direkt an der Grenze zu Deutschland geht weiter.

    The fight against the fire in the High Fenn nature reserve in Belgium, right on the border with Germany, is continuing.

    German uses the present tense for ongoing events that English would report with a progressive.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Bis Jahresende rechnet das Ministerium mit einem weiteren Zuwachs.

    By the end of the year, the ministry expects a further increase.

    German uses the present tense for expectations about the future; no auxiliary is needed.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Ein Einblick, wie Forschende dort arbeiten. Von Boris Geiger, BR Es schwirrt und surrt am Himmel über dem Nationalen Erprobungszentrum für Unbemannte Luftfahrtsysteme des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR).

    A glimpse of how researchers work there. By Boris Geiger, BR. There is a whirring and buzzing in the sky above the National Test Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).

    Vivid descriptive present used in journalism to make the scene immediate.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Doch die Union reagiert skeptisch.

    But the Union reacts sceptically.

    News reporting commonly uses the present tense to describe current reactions.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Der ehemalige Regionalflughafen in Cochstedt südwestlich von Magdeburg mit einer 2,5 Kilometer langen Start- und Landebahn ist das Zentrum für Drohnenforschung in Deutschland.

    The former regional airport in Cochstedt southwest of Magdeburg, with a 2.5-kilometre-long runway, is the centre for drone research in Germany.

    Simple present used for a current state of affairs.

    tagesschau.de
  • B2

    Heute wird ein neues Forschungszentrum zur Drohnenabwehr eröffnet.

    Today a new research centre for drone defence is being opened.

    Present tense of werden expresses an ongoing present passive event.

    tagesschau.de
  • B1

    Mit was für Verletzungen haben Sie am meisten zu tun? Michael Zyskowski: Es gibt zwei unterschiedliche Fraktionen der Unfälle.

    What kinds of injuries do you deal with most?

    Both clauses use the simple present tense, normal in German for current states.

    tagesschau.de
  • C1

    Hier werden Rettungsdrohnen zur Vermisstensuche entwickelt, Algorithmen für Drohnenschwärme programmiert und unbemannte Mini-Helikopter für das World Food Programme der Vereinten Nationen getestet.

    Rescue drones for finding missing persons are developed here, algorithms for drone swarms are programmed, and unmanned mini-helicopters are tested for the World Food Programme of the United Nations.

    The werden-passive uses the present tense of werden to describe ongoing current activity.

    tagesschau.de

Next in tense