Why Germans Often Make the ‘I Have Lived’ Mistake (And How to Fix It)

A common mistake I hear is: “I have lived in Spain 3 years ago.” (I actually hear it so often—maybe I should just accept it!)

In English, the present perfect isn’t used to talk about finished time periods. Instead, we use the past simple. (Sorry if this sounds a bit technical.)

For example, the correct sentence is: “I lived in Spain last year.”

Why?

• It’s a completed action (the speaker is no longer in Spain).
• We have a specific time reference (last year).

The biggest challenge for many of my German-speaking clients is understanding that English and German handle time differently. What works in German doesn’t always work in English.

But don’t worry—this is a very common mistake for German speakers. It’s part of the learning process. Just keep practising and keep improving.

Is there anything in particular that you struggle with?