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How to Say ‘I've been living in Hamburg for a year.’ in German

Ich wohne seit einem Jahr in Hamburg.

ikh VOH-neh zyte EYE-nem yahr in HAM-boorg

[ikh VOH-neh zyte EYE-nem yahr in HAM-boorg]

Phrase Breakdown

Ich wohne

ikh VOH-neh

I have been living

German uses the present tense with 'seit' where English uses 'have been ...ing'.

Example

Ich wohne hier.

I live here.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

wohne

[VOH-neh]

live (reside)

Form of 'wohnen': to live somewhere, have your home there.

Example

Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung.

I live in a small apartment.

seit einem Jahr

zyte EYE-nem yahr

for a year

A time phrase that comes before the place phrase. 'Jahr' sounds like 'yaar'.

Example

Wir kennen uns seit einem Jahr.

We've known each other for a year.

Words in this phrase

seit

[zyte]

since / for

Used with time expressions to show duration from the past until now.

Example

Seit zwei Jahren arbeite ich in Berlin.

I have been working in Berlin for two years.

einem

[EYE-nem]

a (dative)

Form of 'ein' used after prepositions like 'auf' or 'mit' for masculine and neuter nouns.

Example

Ich wohne in einem Haus.

I live in a house.

Jahr

[yahr]

year

A neuter noun for a period of twelve months.

Example

Das Jahr war sehr schön.

The year was very nice.

in Hamburg.

in HAM-boorg

in Hamburg.

The place goes after the time in German word order. Stress 'HAM'.

Example

Er arbeitet in Hamburg.

He works in Hamburg.

Words in this phrase

[in]

Expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be enclosed or surrounded by something else.

Example

Das Haus steht in Trümmern.

The house is in ruins.

Hamburg

[HAM-boorg]

Hamburg

Large port city in northern Germany.

Example

Hamburg hat einen großen Hafen.

Hamburg has a big harbor.

Guides for German learners

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