pflegte zu
In German, 'used to' is expressed by pflegte zu.
Meaning: accustomed to (adj)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish this from the German adjective gewohnt, which means 'accustomed to' (for example, 'I am used to it'). While pflegte zu describes a habitual action in the past, gewohnt describes a state of being accustomed to something.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase pflegte zu has a slightly more formal or literary tone than simply using the Präteritum (simple past) of a verb to describe a habit.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase pflegte zu is followed by an infinitive verb at the end of the clause.
Did you know?
- The word pflegte in pflegte zu comes from the verb pflegen, which means 'to nurse' or 'to care for' someone.
- German has a distinct word gewohnt for being 'used to' something, but it is derived from wohnen, meaning 'to dwell' or 'to live'.
- Using pflegte zu in a casual conversation about your morning routine might make you sound like a character from a 19th-century novel.
Examples in context
- Mein Vater pflegte zu sagen, dass Zeit kostbar sei.My father used to say that time is precious.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a father's habitual way of speaking.Tatoeba #2765460 by Dejo, translation #2765457 by Dejo
- Mein Vater pflegte zu sagen, dass Geld nicht alles ist.My father used to say that money is not everything.This sentence shows how to describe a father's habitual way of speaking regarding money.Tatoeba #692960 by samueldora, translation #251704 by CK
- Unser Lehrer pflegte zu sagen „Das tut mir mehr weh als euch“, bevor er uns eine Tracht mit dem Rohrstock verpasste.Our teacher used to say "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" before laying into us with a cane.This sentence illustrates a teacher's habitual use of a specific phrase.Tatoeba #3687017 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3685609 by patgfisher
- Ich habe früher in Berlin gewohnt.I used to live in Berlin.
- Früher habe ich oft Tennis gespielt.I used to play tennis often.
- Früher hat er Fußball geliebt.He used to love soccer.
- Früher trank sie immer Kaffee zum Frühstück.She used to always drink coffee for breakfast.
- Ihr hattet einst eine große Familie.You used to have a big family.
- Ich war einst ein talentierter Maler.I used to be a talented painter.
- Wir waren einst gute Freunde.We used to be good friends.
- Sie hat früher viel gereist.She used to travel a lot.
- Früher waren wir gute Nachbarn.We used to be good neighbors.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are talking about their late grandfather.
- HannahMein Großvater pflegte zu erzählen, wie es früher war.My grandfather used to tell stories about how it was in the past.
- MaximilianDas klingt sehr interessant.That sounds very interesting.
- HannahEr pflegte zu betonen, dass harte Arbeit wichtig ist.He used to emphasize that hard work is important.
- MaximilianEr hatte wohl recht.He was probably right.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
