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seit or seid: the temporal-clause rule of thumb
The German rule “seit bei Zeit” tells you when to spell “seit” with a t.
- Time
- ⏱ 1 min
- Difficulty
- ◆ easy
How to do it
- Check whether the word refers to time; the conjunction “seit” (“since”) introduces a clause about time.
- If it has a time meaning, write “seit”.
- For “seid” (a form of “sein”, to be), the rule doesn't apply.
Why it works
The conjunction “seit” introduces a temporal clause, so the rule only fits time meanings.
Sources
This is where we found the tip. The badge above shows how well it is backed up.
- duden.de (opens in a new tab)
Die Konjunktion seit leitet einen temporalen Nebensatz ein. Aus diesem Grund hat sich der Merksatz „seit bei Zeit“ durchgesetzt.
