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Using 'sein' and 'haben' in Past
- In German, the verbs 'sein' and 'haben' use the Präteritum (imperfect) form for past tense rather than the perfect tense.
- The Präteritum and perfect tenses serve the same function but 'sein' and 'haben' predominantly use Präteritum for past events.
Using 'vor' to Indicate Past
- The German preposition 'vor' means 'ago' or 'before' when talking about past time frames.
- It is used with time durations (e.g., 'vor einem Jahr' for 'one year ago').
Use 'als' for 'when' in Past
- Use 'als' to say "when" for specific past events, especially in subordinate clauses with the verb at the end.
- Avoid using 'wenn' for single past events; 'wenn' implies present, future, or repeated past actions.