Talking About How Long You’ve Lived in Germany

Hello! My name is John Doe, and I’m here to help you with a common conversation topic in Germany: how long you’ve lived here. It can be trickier than it seems because they don’t always use the same phrases as English speakers. Let’s break it down.

The Basics – Wie lange wohnst du hier?

The most basic question is, “Wie lange wohnst du hier?” – “How long do you live here?” This is a good starting point.

Example: “Ich wohne hier seit drei Jahren.” – “I have lived here for three years.”

Common Phrases – Seit… and Wie lange…

The key is understanding how they express time. They frequently use “seit” (since) combined with a number.

• “Ich wohne seit 5 Jahren in Berlin.” – “I have lived in Berlin for 5 years.”
• “Ich wohne seit einem halben Jahr hier.” – “I have lived here for half a year.”
• “Ich wohne seit über zehn Jahren in Deutschland.” – “I have lived in Germany for over ten years.”

You can also ask “Wie lange…?”

• “Wie lange wohnst du schon hier?” – “How long have you lived here?”
• “Wie lange lebst du hier?” – “How long do you live here?” (More formal)

Specific Time Periods – ein Jahr, zwei Jahre, drei Jahre, etc.

Don’t be afraid to use the numbers! It’s perfectly normal to say “Ich wohne seit einem Jahr hier.” (I have lived here for one year.) Using “ein” (one), “zwei” (two), “drei” (three), etc., is extremely common.

Talking About Moving – Ich bin vor…

Sometimes, they’ll use “Ich bin vor…” (I came from…) to talk about when you moved.

Example: “Ich bin vor fünf Jahren nach Deutschland gekommen.” – “I came to Germany five years ago.”

“Ich bin vor zwei Jahren von London nach München gezogen.” – “I moved from London to Munich two years ago.”

Using vor with months – vor Januar, vor März

You might hear “vor Januar” (before January) or “vor März” (before March) to specify a time before a month.

Example: “Ich bin vor August hier gewohnt.” – “I used to live here before August.”

• Important Note: Remember that “hier” (here) refers to the specific location.

I hope this helps you feel more comfortable talking about your time living in Germany. Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)

sorterien#german#career#integration#dtz#A1#A2#B1#B2#C1
fyp#foryourpage#teamwork#Talking#about#length#of#residence#in#Germany