Seit wann? Vor wie langer Zeit?
You met seit back in Lesson 18 as one of the fixed dative prepositions. Today it gets a partner - vor - and the two are easy to mix up because both can loosely translate to "since/ago" depending on context.
Ich wohne seit einem Jahr in Berlin. (I've been living in Berlin for a year - and still do.)
Ich lerne seit drei Monaten Deutsch. (I've been learning German for three months - and still am.)
Note the tense: German uses the present tense with seit for something that started in the past and continues now - English would use "have been living," but German just says "wohne." This is a genuine, common transfer error worth flagging.
Ich bin vor einem Jahr nach Berlin gezogen. (I moved to Berlin a year ago - a completed event, Perfekt tense, Lesson 16.)
Ich habe vor drei Monaten angefangen. (I started three months ago.)
vor also takes dative, same as seit - both are in the fixed dative-preposition group from Lesson 18.
| seit (ongoing, present tense) | vor (finished, Perfekt/past tense) |
|---|---|
| Ich wohne seit einem Jahr hier. (still living here) | Ich bin vor einem Jahr hergezogen. (the move itself, done) |
1. "I've been living in Berlin for a year." - Ich wohne ______ einem Jahr in Berlin.
2. "I moved to Berlin a year ago." - Ich bin ______ einem Jahr nach Berlin gezogen.
3. Which tense does German use with "seit" for an ongoing action?
4. Which case do both "seit" and "vor" take?
5. Does "vor" describe something still happening now, or something finished?
Cross-checked against the Goethe-Institut A1 practice materials.
Unsure whether seit or vor fits a specific sentence about your own timeline? Ask your teaching agent.