German · B1 · Family moment
Growing Day by Day in German
Celebrate small changes in your baby's routines. Use seitdem (“since” or “ever since”) to connect a starting point in the past with a change that continues into the present.
What you'll learn
- Describe changes in your baby's everyday routines using seitdem.
- Put the finite verb at the end of a seitdem clause.
- Use the German present tense for situations that began in the past and still continue.
- Place the main-clause verb immediately after an opening seitdem clause.
German phrases for growing day by day
Seitdem du krabbelst, hast du jede Ecke der Spielmatte erkundet.
Since you started crawling, you have explored every corner of the play mat.
Seitdem du krabbelst naturally means “since you started crawling.” The present tense describes an ability your baby now uses.
Seitdem dein erster Zahn durchgekommen ist, kaust du gern auf deinem Beißring herum.
Since your first tooth appeared, you have enjoyed chewing your teething ring.
Durchkommen describes a tooth coming through. The finite verb ist comes last in the seitdem clause.
Seitdem wir vor dem Schlafengehen ein Lied singen, kommst du leichter zur Ruhe.
Since we introduced a bedtime song, you have settled more easily.
German naturally describes the new routine as “since we sing a song before bed.” Zur Ruhe kommen means to settle or calm down.
Seitdem du dich umdrehen kannst, ist das Windelwechseln lebhafter geworden.
Since you learned to roll over, nappy changes have become livelier.
Dich umdrehen kannst describes your baby's new ability to roll over. The modal verb kannst follows the infinitive umdrehen.
Seitdem wir deine Badezeit vorverlegt haben, verlaufen unsere Abende ruhiger.
Since we moved your bath time earlier, our evenings have felt calmer.
Vorverlegen means to move something to an earlier time. Unsere Abende verlaufen ruhiger naturally expresses that evenings now go more calmly.
Seitdem du weiches Essen isst, brauchen wir mehr Lätzchen.
Since you began eating soft food, we have needed more bibs.
Both clauses use the present tense because eating soft food and needing more bibs are ongoing.
Seitdem du brabbelst, klingt es morgens bei uns viel lebhafter.
Since you started babbling, our mornings have sounded much livelier.
Brabbeln is a warm, everyday word for a baby's babbling. Morgens bei uns means “in our home in the mornings.”
Seitdem wir morgens spazieren gehen, fühle ich mich entspannter.
Since we started taking a morning walk, I have felt more relaxed.
Spazieren gehen means to go for a walk. German uses the present tense for both the continuing routine and its current effect.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
krabbeln
to crawl
A regular verb: du krabbelst.
die Spielmatte
play mat
Plural: die Spielmatten.
der Beißring
teething ring
Plural: die Beißringe. Say auf einem Beißring herumkauen for chewing on a teething ring.
zur Ruhe kommen
to settle; to calm down
Useful when talking about winding down before sleep.
das Windelwechseln
changing nappies; diaper changing
This activity is used as a noun, so it is capitalized and takes das.
vorverlegen
to move to an earlier time
A separable verb: wir verlegen die Badezeit vor. Perfect tense: wir haben die Badezeit vorverlegt.
das Lätzchen
bib
The plural has the same form: die Lätzchen.
brabbeln
to babble
An informal, affectionate word commonly used for babies' early sounds.
Seitdem: a starting point with a continuing effect
Seitdem introduces a time clause meaning “since” or “ever since.” It links a past starting point to an ongoing situation or a result that matters now. It marks time, not “since” meaning “because.”
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Continuing activity | seitdem + subject + present-tense verb | Seitdem du krabbelst, hast du jede Ecke der Spielmatte erkundet. |
| Completed starting event | seitdem + subject + other words + past participle + haben/sein | Seitdem dein erster Zahn durchgekommen ist, kaust du gern auf deinem Beißring herum. |
Verb placement and commas
Put the finite verb—the verb showing person and tense—at the end of the seitdem clause. Separate the clauses with a comma. When the seitdem clause comes first, the main-clause verb comes immediately after the comma, before its subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening seitdem clause | Seitdem + subject + … + verb, main verb + subject + … | Seitdem du weiches Essen isst, brauchen wir mehr Lätzchen. |
| Modal verb at the end | seitdem + subject + … + infinitive + modal verb | Seitdem du dich umdrehen kannst, ist das Windelwechseln lebhafter geworden. |
| Seitdem clause after the main clause | Subject + main verb + …, seitdem + subject + … + verb. | Ich fühle mich entspannter, seitdem wir morgens spazieren gehen. |
Choosing the tense
English often uses “have” or “has” for a situation continuing from the past. German normally uses the present tense when describing that ongoing situation. Use the perfect tense for a completed event or an achieved result.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing situation | present tense | Seitdem wir morgens spazieren gehen, fühle ich mich entspannter. |
| Completed change to a routine | perfect tense in the seitdem clause | Seitdem wir deine Badezeit vorverlegt haben, verlaufen unsere Abende ruhiger. |
| Achieved result | perfect tense in the main clause | Seitdem du krabbelst, hast du jede Ecke der Spielmatte erkundet. |
More examples
Seitdem wir abends ein Lied singen, schläfst du leichter ein.
Since we started singing a song in the evenings, you have found it easier to fall asleep.
The separable verb einschlafen becomes schläfst … ein in the main clause.
Wir brauchen mehr Lätzchen, seitdem du weiches Essen isst.
We have needed more bibs since you started eating soft food.
The seitdem clause can come second. Its finite verb, isst, still comes last.