German Verb Conjugation: Mastering the Basics
Verb conjugation is at the heart of German grammar. Unlike English, where verbs barely change between persons, German gives each person its own ending. The good news is that the conjugation pattern for regular verbs is remarkably consistent — once you learn the system, you can conjugate hundreds of verbs.
Regular Verb Conjugation
The base form of a German verb, the infinitive, typically ends in -en: machen (to do/make), spielen (to play), lernen (to learn). To conjugate, you remove the -en ending and add the personal ending.
Take the verb machen (to do/make) as an example:
| Person | Ending | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich (I) | -e | ich mache |
| du (you, informal) | -st | du machst |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | -t | er macht |
| wir (we) | -en | wir machen |
| ihr (you all) | -t | ihr macht |
| sie/Sie (they/you formal) | -en | sie machen |
This pattern applies to the vast majority of German verbs. Learn these six endings and you can conjugate hundreds of words.
More Regular Verb Examples
- spielen (to play): ich spiele, du spielst, er spielt, wir spielen, ihr spielt, sie spielen
- lernen (to learn): ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, wir lernen, ihr lernt, sie lernen
- wohnen (to live): ich wohne, du wohnst, er wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie wohnen
Phonetic Adjustments
Some verbs whose stems end in -t, -d, -ffn, -chn, or -gn insert an extra -e- before the ending in the du, er, and ihr forms. This makes pronunciation easier.
arbeiten (to work):
- ich arbeite
- du arbeitest
- er arbeitet
- wir arbeiten
- ihr arbeitet
- sie arbeiten
The same applies to verbs like finden (to find), offnen (to open), and rechnen (to calculate).
Irregular Verbs
The most commonly used German verbs are often irregular. The most typical irregularity in the present tense is a vowel change in the du and er/sie/es forms.
Type e to i/ie
sprechen (to speak):
- ich spreche
- du sprichst
- er spricht
- wir sprechen
- ihr sprecht
- sie sprechen
lesen (to read):
- ich lese
- du liest
- er liest
- wir lesen
- ihr lest
- sie lesen
Type a to a-umlaut
fahren (to drive):
- ich fahre
- du fahrst
- er fahrt
- wir fahren
- ihr fahrt
- sie fahren
schlafen (to sleep):
- ich schlafe
- du schlafst
- er schlaft
- wir schlafen
- ihr schlaft
- sie schlafen
Important: the vowel change only happens in the du and er/sie/es forms. All other forms follow the regular pattern.
Sein and Haben — The Two Most Important Verbs
The verbs sein (to be) and haben (to have) are the most frequently used verbs in German, and both are completely irregular.
Sein (to be)
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | bin |
| du | bist |
| er/sie/es | ist |
| wir | sind |
| ihr | seid |
| sie/Sie | sind |
Examples:
- Ich bin Student. (I am a student.)
- Du bist nett. (You are nice.)
- Wir sind zu Hause. (We are at home.)
Haben (to have)
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | habe |
| du | hast |
| er/sie/es | hat |
| wir | haben |
| ihr | habt |
| sie/Sie | haben |
Examples:
- Ich habe einen Hund. (I have a dog.)
- Er hat keine Zeit. (He has no time.)
- Wir haben Hunger. (We are hungry.)
Both sein and haben also serve as auxiliary verbs for forming past tenses, so mastering them is absolutely essential.
Separable Verbs (trennbare Verben)
One of the unique features of German is separable verbs. These verbs have a prefix that detaches in a sentence and moves to the end.
Common separable prefixes include: an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, vor-, zu-, zuruck-.
aufstehen (to get up):
- Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. (I get up at 7 o’clock.)
einkaufen (to shop):
- Wir kaufen im Supermarkt ein. (We shop at the supermarket.)
anfangen (to begin):
- Der Film fangt um 20 Uhr an. (The film starts at 8 PM.)
mitkommen (to come along):
- Kommst du mit? (Are you coming along?)
Separable vs. Inseparable
Not all prefixes separate. The prefixes be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, zer- are inseparable and always stay attached to the verb.
- verstehen (to understand): Ich verstehe das. (I understand that.) — no separation
- beginnen (to begin): Wir beginnen jetzt. (We begin now.) — no separation
A helpful rule: inseparable prefixes are usually unstressed, while separable prefixes carry the stress.
The Ten Most Common German Verbs
Here are ten of the most frequently used German verbs that you should learn first:
- sein — to be
- haben — to have
- werden — to become
- konnen — can, to be able to
- mussen — must, to have to
- sagen — to say
- machen — to do, to make
- geben — to give
- kommen — to come
- wollen — to want
Of these, sein, haben, and werden are completely irregular. Konnen, mussen, and wollen are modal verbs with their own special conjugation patterns.
Tips for Practice
Use verbs in sentences. Memorizing conjugation tables alone is not enough. Create your own sentences about everyday activities: “Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf,” “Ich trinke Kaffee,” “Ich fahre zur Arbeit.”
Start with the present tense. German has an extensive tense system, but the present tense is by far the most used. It can even express future meaning: “Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin” (I am going to Berlin tomorrow).
Listen and repeat. Verb conjugation becomes automatic best when you hear and repeat the forms. Podcasts, videos, and language programs are excellent practice material.
Focus on the most common verbs first. Mastering the hundred most common verbs covers the vast majority of everyday language use. There will be plenty of time for rare verbs later.
