What is the difference between “seit” and “für” in German?
While working as an online German teacher, I often see students getting confused with “seit” and “für” in German. In this article, I will explain how both of them differ and when you should use which one!
The problem of “seit” and “für
When studying German, you will quickly meet the prepositions “seit” and “für.” In my honest opinion, many students struggle with them because they translate English “since” and “for” into German. As most of the time, this does not work. Besides, prepositions are a world for themselves. I do believe that it is the hardest part of any language. This is because we often do not use the same prepositions for the same things in different languages. Therefore, attempting to transfer prepositions from one language to another is doomed to failure.
Recommended study materials on the topic:
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
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When to use “seit”
In German, we use “seit” when we would like to express “for” or “since.” As you can already see, here comes the tricky part. The meaning of “seit” is that something has started in the past and is still ongoing. Additionally, you should remember that Dativ always follows the preposition “seit”.
For example:
“Ich singe seit 5 Jahren im Chor.” – (I have been singing in the choir for 5 years.)
As you can see in our example, I started to sing in the choir 5 years ago, but I still do it. Therefore, I need to use “seit”.
When to use “für”
The preposition “für” in German also means “for” promptly. However, we use it in a different sense. If you use “für” you would like to express that something has started and finished. Unlike “seit” the action has already stopped and does not continue. Also, the preposition “für” is always followed by the Accusative case.
For example: “Ich habe für 2 Tage in der Firma gearbeitet.” – (I worked in the company for two days.)
As shown in our example, the action of work has a start and an end. I stopped working at some point and do not do it now.
Conclusion “seit” vs. “für”
If you are unsure whether you should use “seit” or “für” you can always ask yourself the following question:
Does the action of the sentence continue? – If yes, use “seit”.
Does the action have a beginning and end and not continue until now? – If yes, use “für.”
I hope I could shed some light on this issue and that you are now confident when to use which of these prepositions.
Bis bald!
Steffie
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