what is it?
In German, when a situation began at a point in the past and is still true now, you use the present tense together with seit (since / for) or schon (already / for a while). English uses the present perfect for the same idea (I have been learning German for two years), but German stays in the present tense. This rule applies only to ongoing, uninterrupted situations. Negated or completed events use the Perfekt instead.
when to use it
Ongoing state or activity — the situation started in the past and is still continuing at the moment of speaking. Use the present tense + seit or schon.
seit + time expression — use seit to name a specific duration (seit zwei Jahren — for two years) or a starting point (seit 2020 — since 2020).
schon + time expression — schon can replace or accompany seit to add the nuance of «already for some time» (schon lange — for a long time already).
Negated or completed events — when the situation is not ongoing (e.g. «I haven't seen him for years»), use the Perfekt with seit, not the present tense.
formation
The structure is straightforward: conjugate the main verb in the present tense as normal, then add seit followed by a time expression in the dative case. seit always governs the dative, so ein Jahr becomes seit einem Jahr.
Typical word order places seit either after the verb or at the start of the sentence (verb-second rule applies):
| position | example | English |
|---|---|---|
| seit in mid-sentence | Ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch. | I have been learning German for two years. |
| seit at the start | Seit zwei Jahren lerne ich Deutsch. | For two years I have been learning German. |
| schon in mid-sentence | Wir wohnen schon lange in Berlin. | We have been living in Berlin for a long time. |
Common dative forms with seit: seit einem Jahr (for a year), seit zwei Jahren (for two years), seit einer Woche (for a week), seit einem Monat (for a month).
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using the Perfekt for an ongoing situation
Learners often transfer the English present perfect directly into German. If you are still living somewhere right now, the Perfekt is wrong:
✗ «Ich habe hier seit 2020 gewohnt.» — implies you no longer live there.
✓ «Ich wohne hier seit 2020.» — you still live there now.
Using für instead of seit for duration so far
für expresses a planned or completed duration (e.g. «Ich fahre für eine Woche nach Hamburg» — I'm going to Hamburg for a week). It cannot express how long an ongoing situation has lasted.
✗ «Ich lerne für zwei Jahre Deutsch.» — grammatically odd; implies a fixed, planned period.
✓ «Ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch.» — I have been learning German for two years (and still am).
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Mein Chef ___ mich seit Wochen nicht zu einem Meeting eingeladen. (haben)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.