One of the most common A2 mistakes
in German – and almost nobody catches it. English says: "I have been learning German for three years." So learners write:
𝘐𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘪 𝘑𝘢𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘁.
That is wrong.
The correct sentence is:
𝘐𝘤𝘩 𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘪 𝘑𝘢𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘤𝘩.
Present tense. Not perfect tense.
Here is the rule:
𝗦𝗘𝗜𝗧 = since / for (ongoing action)
Used when something started in the past
and is 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 happening right now.
German uses 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 with seit.
𝘐𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘻𝘸𝘦𝘪 𝘑𝘢𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝐵𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛.
I have been living in Berlin for two years.
(Still living there now – present tense.)
𝗩𝗢𝗥 = ago (completed past action)
Used when something happened in the past
and is 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱.
German uses 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 with vor.
𝘐𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘻𝘸𝘦𝘪 𝘑𝘢𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯.
I started two years ago.
(That moment is finished – past tense.)
The logic is clean:
Still happening? 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘁 + present tense.
Already finished? 𝘃𝗼𝗿 + past tense.
English uses perfect tense for both.
German uses two different tenses
for two different realities.
Because in German –
whether something is finished or ongoing
is not optional information.
It is built into the sentence itself.𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆
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