Langauge=rules

[MURKY]

Can't find anywhere to put this topic so i'll put it here. Can anyone explain what 'the simple past' and 'the past participle' and 'the perfect present tense' and 'the irregular verbs' are? I am learning German and it is very confusing.

[Xollob]

• Simple past:
  I took.
  German: ich nahm. As the name implies, it doesn't get much simpler than this - no auxilliary verbs such as "have", "had" "would have".
• Past participle: I have taken.
  German: ich habe genommen.
  The past participle is used in verb forms such as
  I have taken - ich habe genommen
  I had taken - ich hatte genommen
  I will have taken - ich werde genommen haben
  I would have taken - ich h�tte genommen.
• Present perfect: I have taken (have + past participle). See UsingEnglish.com for examples.
• Irregular verbs:
  Most verbs in English and German are regular, i.e. they follow a set pattern:
  I ask; I asked; I have asked.
  Ich frage; ich fragte; ich habe gefragt.
  Unfortunately, most of the most common verbs in English and German tend to be irregular, i.e. no set pattern:
  I eat; I ate; I have eaten;
  I drink; I drank; I have drunk;
  I think; I thought; I have thought,

The verb "to go" is an irregular verb in English and German:
I go; I went; I have gone.
Ich gehe; ich ging; ich bin gegangen.

You just have to learn these, I'm afraid.

[acw]

PS - "Phrases and sayings" may have found you an answer - not that it matters with Xollob's excellent explanation there! :-)

[BossyBoots]

Xollob - wow - I am so impressed I have printed this off.  Been learning German for years and still had trouble trying to understand that.......

Ich liebe dich......

[d0gsb0dy]

BB. The only way to really become proficient in a language is to live in the country.