Simple Past German Exercises

Hello there, today we are going to focus on the German Simple Past tense, also known as “Präteritum”. This is the tense you’ll use to talk about completed actions in the past, such as something you did yesterday or last week.

This is a critical component of German language mastery and will enhance your ability to convey a wide range of ideas and experiences. Below, I have prepared a set of exercises to help you practice and internalize the use of the Simple Past tense in German.

These activities include sentence order practice, translation practice, vocabulary practice, and even a small text translation for you to try.

 

 

1) Put the Sentences in the Correct Order – German Simple Past

 

a) gekauft / ein / ich / habe / Auto

Ich habe ein Auto gekauft.

 

b) gestern / besucht / Museum / wir / das / haben

 

c) viel / gelernt / Woche / letzte / du / hast

 

d) Kuchen / den / ganzen / sie / haben / gegessen

 

e) früh / Bett / ist / er / ins / gegangen

 

f) gelernt / spielen / sie / Gitarre / hat

 

g) Party / getroffen / auf / der / ihn / ich / habe

 

h) das / Projekt / haben / wir / gesprochen / über

 

i) Brief / sie / geschrieben / hat / einen / langen

 

j) Film / den / sie / gesehen / haben

 

k) das / Auto / dunkelblaue / sie / kaufen / wollten

 

l) Hemden / unsere / tragen / silbernen / Zeit, / es / ist / zu

 

m) Bleistift / hellorange / ist / der

 

2) Can you Translate these Sentences?

 

a) They read the book.

Sie haben das Buch gelesen.

 

b) He went to the party yesterday.

 

c) We bought a new house.

 

d) I ate an apple.

 

e) She saw a movie last night.

 

f) They learned German.

 

g) I wrote a letter.

 

h) He visited his grandparents.

 

i) We drank coffee.

 

j) She slept well.

 

k) He lost his keys.

 

l) They opened the window.

 

m) She washed the dishes.

 

3) Practice your Vocabulary of German Simple Past

 

a) went – ate – saw

ging – aß – sah

 

b) read - learned - wrote

 

c) bought - visited - met

 

d) slept - woke up - got up

 

e) started - finished - left

 

f) drank - tasted - ate

 

g) sang - danced - listened

 

h) worked - rested - continued

 

i) loved - liked - disliked

 

j) drove - rode - flew

 

k) smiled - laughed - cried

 

4) Practice Your Writing by Translating this Small Text Taking the German Simple Past into Consideration

 

Yesterday, I went to the supermarket. I bought bread, milk, and apples. I saw my old friend there. We talked for a while and then I returned home.

 

Yesterday, I visited my friend. We ate a delicious meal and talked about our plans. Then we went to a concert. It was an unforgettable day.

 

Great job completing these exercises! Remember, the key to language learning is consistent practice. Keep working with the German Simple Past tense, trying to use it when you’re speaking or writing about past events.

As you continue to practice, you will find yourself becoming more comfortable with it. Don’t worry if you make mistakes along the way – they’re a normal part of the learning process!

Just keep reviewing and practicing, and you’ll see your German skills continue to grow. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to our next lesson.

 

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