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Tempus

tense

noun TEM-poos Rare
Communication Language

Origin: from Latin tempus (time)

Also means

grammatical tense

Usage Note

Tempus is the grammatical term for verb tense. German has six tenses: Präsens, Präteritum, Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt, Futur I, Futur II. In everyday speech Zeit is sometimes used, but Tempus is the standard grammatical term. Plural Tempora.

Examples

"In welchem Tempus steht das Verb in diesem Satz?"

Natural Translation

In what tense is the verb in this sentence?

Literal Translation

In which tense stands the verb in this sentence?

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