Other than in sentences containing als and sein, haben and the modals, the simple past of German verbs is relatively rare in German conversation. Its meaning is the same as that of the corresponding perfect forms. The base form of the verb appears in the front bracket and the separable prefix, if any, appears in the end bracket.

Formation of the Simple Past: T-Class Verbs

The formation of t-class simple past forms is very regular. The rules will be illustrated with the verbs umtauschen, a separable prefix verb, kosten and machen.

If the infinitive ends in -den or -ten, replace the final -n with -t.
 

For any other infinitive, replace final -en with -t.
 

Add the t-class past endings for the subject as follows:
 

The familiar forms, which are still less common in conversation than other simple past forms, are:
 

Formation of the Simple Past: n-Class Verbs

The simple past forms of n-class verbs are listed in the end vocabulary of the text in the form shown below. They are irregular and must be memorized.
 

Principal Parts: Formation of Past Tense

The third person singular simple past form is listed as the second of the principal parts, as shown here.

Infinitive
 

Simple Past
 

(Perfect) 3rd Sing. Auxiliary + Past Participle
 

Endings of the Simple Past: n-Class Verbs

Add endings to the simple past form as follows:
 

The familiar forms, which are still less common in conversation than other simple past forms, are: