34 Use of tenses
See^81 (pp. 286–96); see also 33.3 (p. 60).
34.1 German has only one form of the verb in each tense, unlike English. Compare:
Er findet es schwer.
He finds it hard.
He is finding it hard.
He does find it hard.Er fand es schwer.
He found it hard.
He was finding it hard.
He did find it hard.34.2 Present tense
(a) Describes events or states belonging in the present time:Ich verstehe Ihre Frage nicht.
I do not understand your question.(b) Describes eternal truths and scientific facts (see 76.11):Die Zeit vergeht schnell.
Time passes quickly.Öl schwimmt auf Wasser.
Oil floats/will float on water.(c) Describes events in the near or foreseeable future (where the context makes the
future reference obvious, see 81.8):Ich finde es morgen.
I’ll find it tomorrow.See also 39.8a (p. 101).
(d) Describes events or states which started in the past but are still going on (note the
use of seit + dative):Sie ist seit zwei Jahren verlobt.
She has been engaged for two years.34.3 Future
As well as expressing future time, the future often conveys a prediction, a statement of
intent (see 103 ) or desirability, or a supposition (see 89.1)Wir werden gewinnen.
We are going to win.Das wird (wohl) die Post sein.
That’ll be the post.34
Use of tenses