Hallo Leute! 👋
Today, we are going to answer another question we received from Sara: How do I correctly use seit and vor to talk about time?
This blog will help you understand how to use each word correctly. 📚📝
Explanation:
Using seit for Ongoing Actions:
If you want to speak about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing, you use seit.
For example: Ich lebe seit drei Jahren hier. (I have been living here for three years.)
This case is similar to when we use the present perfect in English. 🎓
Using vor for Specific Past Actions:
On the other hand, if you want to talk about something that happened at a specific time in the past, you use vor.
For example: Ich bin vor drei Jahren hierher gezogen. (I moved here three years ago.)
This action started and finished in the past, so we use vor. 📖
It’s similar to when we use the simple past in English.
Summary:
To distinguish between seit and vor when talking about time in German:
- Use seit for actions that started in the past and are still ongoing. ⏳
- Use vor for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. 📅
Extra Examples:
Here are some extra examples to help you practice:
- Ich arbeite seit fünf Jahren in dieser Firma. (I have been working in this company for five years.) 🏢
- Vor zwei Wochen habe ich meinen Freund besucht. (I visited my friend two weeks ago.) 🗓️
- Sie lernt seit einem Jahr Deutsch. (She has been learning German for a year.) 📚
To reinforce what you’ve just read, check out our engaging video below! 🎥👇
