German · B1 · Family moment
Growing More Independent in German
Celebrate growing independence by connecting a change in your child’s routine with its continuing effects. Use seitdem (“since”) to show when the change began.
What you'll learn
- Describe positive changes in everyday habits.
- Use seitdem to connect a starting point with an ongoing situation.
- Place the finite verb at the end of a seitdem clause.
- Use the German present tense for situations that began earlier and still continue.
German phrases for growing more independent
Seitdem du deine Brille bekommen hast, macht dir das Lesen mehr Spaß.
Since you got your glasses, you have enjoyed reading more.
The completed starting event uses bekommen hast. The continuing enjoyment uses the present tense: macht.
Seitdem wir zu Fuß zur Schule gehen, sind unsere Morgen entspannter.
Since we started walking to school, our mornings have felt calmer.
Seitdem with the present tense can describe a habit that started earlier and continues now. There is no need to translate “started” separately here.
Du packst deine Tasche selbst, seitdem wir die Checkliste neben die Tür gehängt haben.
You have packed your own bag since we put the checklist by the door.
Selbst emphasizes doing something yourself. The seitdem clause comes second, and its finite verb haben comes last.
Seitdem du dem Fußballverein beigetreten bist, schläfst du besser.
Since you joined the football club, you have slept better.
Beitreten means “to join” and takes the dative: dem Fußballverein. Its perfect tense uses sein: beigetreten bist.
Seitdem dein Zahn locker geworden ist, kaust du vorsichtiger.
Since your tooth became loose, you have chewed more carefully.
Locker geworden ist describes the change to being loose. Kaust describes the continuing chewing habit.
Du sparst jede Woche etwas Geld, seitdem du Taschengeld bekommst.
You have saved some money every week since you started getting pocket money.
Both clauses use the present tense because saving and receiving pocket money are ongoing habits.
Seitdem wir die Hausaufgabenzeit auf die Zeit nach deinem Snack verschoben haben, fällt es dir leichter, dich zu konzentrieren.
Since we moved homework time to after your snack, you have found it easier to concentrate.
Etwas fällt dir leichter means “you find something easier.” Sich konzentrieren becomes dich konzentrieren when addressing your child.
Seitdem dein Freund in die Nähe gezogen ist, spielt ihr öfter zusammen.
Since your friend moved nearby, you have played together more often.
Ihr refers to your child and their friend together. For a female friend, use deine Freundin.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
seitdem
since; ever since
Introduces a clause linking an earlier starting point to a situation that continues.
die Brille
glasses
German uses a singular noun for one pair of glasses: deine Brille.
zu Fuß
on foot
Zu Fuß zur Schule gehen means “to walk to school.”
selbst
yourself; independently
Useful for celebrating independence: Du machst das selbst!
locker
loose
Ein lockerer Zahn is a loose tooth.
das Taschengeld
pocket money; allowance
Usually used without an article in Taschengeld bekommen.
jemandem leichterfallen
to be easier for someone
A separable verb: Das fällt dir leichter. The person is in the dative: dir.
in die Nähe ziehen
to move nearby
For moving home, ziehen forms the perfect tense with sein: ist gezogen.
Seitdem clauses: the finite verb goes last
Seitdem introduces a temporal subordinate clause. Put the finite verb—the verb carrying person and tense—at the end. In the perfect tense, the participle comes before the final auxiliary.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present tense | seitdem + subject + other information + finite verb | seitdem du Taschengeld bekommst |
| Perfect tense with haben | seitdem + subject + other information + participle + haben | seitdem du deine Brille bekommen hast |
| Perfect tense with sein | seitdem + subject + other information + participle + sein | seitdem dein Freund in die Nähe gezogen ist |
Either clause can come first
Separate the clauses with a comma. If the seitdem clause comes first, it fills the first position of the whole sentence, so the main clause begins with its finite verb. If the main clause comes first, it keeps normal main-clause word order.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Seitdem clause first | Seitdem … finite verb, main-clause verb + subject … | Seitdem du Taschengeld bekommst, sparst du jede Woche etwas Geld. |
| Main clause first | Subject + main-clause verb …, seitdem … finite verb. | Du sparst jede Woche etwas Geld, seitdem du Taschengeld bekommst. |
Tenses for starting points and continuing habits
German commonly uses the present tense for a situation that started in the past and still continues, where English often uses “have” or “have been.” A completed starting event can use the perfect tense; an ongoing habit in the seitdem clause can use the present.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Completed event → continuing result | seitdem + perfect tense → present tense | Seitdem du deine Brille bekommen hast, macht dir das Lesen mehr Spaß. |
| Continuing habit → continuing result | seitdem + present tense → present tense | Seitdem wir zu Fuß zur Schule gehen, sind unsere Morgen entspannter. |
More examples
Seitdem du einen Wecker hast, stehst du selbst auf.
Since you got an alarm clock, you have been getting up on your own.
Aufstehen is separable. In the main clause, stehst comes near the beginning and auf goes at the end.
Du liest jeden Abend, seitdem du die neuen Bücher bekommen hast.
You have been reading every evening since you got the new books.
Liest describes the ongoing habit. Bekommen hast marks the completed starting event.
Seitdem du deine Kleidung selbst aussuchst, bist du morgens schneller fertig.
Since you started choosing your own clothes, you have been ready more quickly in the mornings.
A separable verb stays together at the end of a subordinate clause: aussuchst, not suchst … aus.