Perfect vs Past: Didn't or Haven't?
We use didn't for a finished past time.
Example: Didn't you call her yesterday?
[Hast du sie gestern nicht angerufen?]
We use haven't for present perfect negative questions with no finished past time, often with yet, ever, before, already.
Example: Haven't you finished yet?
[Hast du noch nicht fertiggemacht?]
Past simple: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2022, this morning
Present perfect: yet, ever, before, already, recently, so far
[Kurz erklärt: didn't benutzt man bei einer abgeschlossenen Vergangenheit. haven't benutzt man im Present Perfect, wenn keine genaue abgeschlossene Zeit genannt wird oder wenn es um Erfahrung oder Erwartungen bis jetzt geht.]
1. _____ you finished the email yet? (yet)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du die E-Mail noch nicht fertiggeschrieben?]
2. _____ you reply to her message yesterday? (yesterday)
Didn't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du gestern nicht auf ihre Nachricht geantwortet?]
3. _____ you ever been to Ireland? (ever)
Haven't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Bist du noch nie in Irland gewesen?]
4. _____ you see Anna at the meeting this morning? (this morning but it’s now afternoon)
Didn't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du Anna heute Morgen bei dem Meeting nicht gesehen?]
5. _____ you read this book before? (before)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du dieses Buch nicht schon einmal gelesen?]
6. _____ you read the contract last night? (last night)
Didn't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du den Vertrag gestern Abend nicht gelesen?]
7. _____ you called the technician yet? (yet)
Haven't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du den Techniker noch nicht angerufen?]
8. _____ you call the technician yesterday afternoon? (yesterday afternoon)
Didn't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du den Techniker gestern Nachmittag nicht angerufen?]
9. _____ you ever worked abroad? (ever)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du noch nie im Ausland gearbeitet?]
10. _____ you work abroad in 2022? (in 2022)
Didn't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du 2022 nicht im Ausland gearbeitet?]
11. _____ you finished your coffee yet? (yet)
Haven't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du deinen Kaffee noch nicht ausgetrunken?]
12. _____ you drink your coffee this morning? (this morning)
Didn't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du heute Morgen deinen Kaffee nicht getrunken?]
13. _____ you ever driven a van before? (before)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Bist du noch nie einen Lieferwagen gefahren?]
14. _____ you drive to the office yesterday? (yesterday)
Didn't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Bist du gestern nicht ins Büro gefahren?]
15. _____ you made a decision yet? (yet)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du noch keine Entscheidung getroffen?]
16. _____ you make a decision last week? (last week)
Didn't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du letzte Woche keine Entscheidung getroffen?]
17. _____ you seen that email already? (already)
Haven't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du diese E-Mail nicht schon gesehen?]
18. _____ you see that email earlier? (earlier)
Didn't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du diese E-Mail vorhin nicht gesehen?]
19. _____ you ever heard of this company? (ever)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du von dieser Firma noch nie gehört?]
20. _____ you hear the news on the radio this morning? (this morning)
Didn't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du die Nachrichten heute Morgen im Radio nicht gehört?]
21. _____ you visited this museum before? (before)
Haven't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du dieses Museum noch nie besucht?]
22. _____ you visit the museum when you were in Paris? (when you were in Paris)
Didn't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du das Museum nicht besucht, als du in Paris warst?]
23. _____ you written to him yet? (yet)
Haven't
a) Haven't
b) Didn't
[Hast du ihm noch nicht geschrieben?]
24. _____ you write to him last week? (last week)
Didn't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du ihm letzte Woche nicht geschrieben?]
25. _____ you spoken to your manager yet? (yet)
Haven't
a) Didn't
b) Haven't
[Hast du noch nicht mit deinem Chef gesprochen?]