Verb Conjugation (Konjugation)¶
Verb conjugation is the process of changing a verb's ending to match the subject (who is doing the action) and the tense (when it's happening).
In German, all conjugations start by finding the verb's stem. You do this by removing the -en or -n from its infinitive (the "to..." form).
- Infinitive: spiel_en_ (to play) -> Stem: spiel-
- Infinitive: geh_en_ (to go) -> Stem: geh-
- Infinitive: wander_n_ (to hike) -> Stem: wander-
You then add a specific ending to this stem based on the subject.
1. Subjects (Person and Number)¶
There are six "types" of subjects (persons) that a verb can match:
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | ich (I) | wir (we) |
| 2nd Person | du (you, informal) | ihr (you all, informal) |
| 3rd Person | er/sie/es (he/she/it) | sie / Sie (they / you, formal) |
2. Present Tense Conjugation¶
The present tense (Präsens) is the most common. The standard endings are:
| Subject | Standard Ending | Example: spiel_en_ (to play) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | ich spiele |
| du | -st | du spielst |
| er/sie/es | -t | er/sie/es spielt |
| wir | -en | wir spielen |
| ihr | -t | ihr spielt |
| sie/Sie | -en | sie/Sie spielen |
Note: The wir and sie/Sie forms are almost always identical to the infinitive.
3. The 3 Verb Classes¶
How a verb conjugates depends on its class.
1. Weak Verbs (Regelmäßige Verben)¶
These are "regular" verbs. They follow the standard ending pattern above and never change their stem vowel. * machen (to do): ich mache, du machst, er macht * lernen (to learn): ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt * kaufen (to buy): ich kaufe, du kaufst, er kauft
Spelling Rule: If the stem ends in -d or -t (like arbeiten), or -m/-n after another consonant (like öffnen), you must add an extra -e- before the -st and -t endings to make it easier to say.
* arbeiten (to work): du arbeitest, er arbeit**et, ihr arbeitet
* öffnen (to open): du öffn**est, er öffnet, ihr öffn**et
2. Strong Verbs (Unregelmäßige Verben)¶
These are "irregular" verbs. They use the same standard endings as weak verbs, but they change their stem vowel in the 2nd (du) and 3rd (er/sie/es) person singular.
* The ich, wir, ihr, and sie/Sie forms are usually regular.
Common Vowel Changes: * e -> ie: sehen (to see) -> du siehst, er sieht * e -> i: geben (to give) -> du gibst, er gibt * a -> ä: fahren (to drive) -> du fährst, er fährt * au -> äu: laufen (to run) -> du läufst, er läuft
| Subject | sehen (e->ie) | fahren (a->ä) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | sehe | fahre |
| du | siehst | fährst |
| er/sie/es | sieht | fährt |
| wir | sehen | fahren |
| ihr | seht | fahrt |
| sie/Sie | sehen | fahren |
3. Mixed Verbs (Mischverben)¶
These are a small group of verbs that are "mixed." They are regular in the present tense (like weak verbs) but have a stem-vowel change in their past tense forms (like strong verbs). * kennen (to know): ich kenne, du kennst, er kennt * bringen (to bring): ich bringe, du bringst, er bringt
4. haben and sein (To Have & To Be)¶
The two most important verbs, haben (to have) and sein (to be), are highly irregular and must be memorized.
| Subject | haben (to have) | sein (to be) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | habe | bin |
| du | hast | bist |
| er/sie/es | hat | ist |
| wir | haben | sind |
| ihr | habt | seid |
| sie/Sie | haben | sind |
5. Other Verb Forms (Introduction)¶
The conjugation patterns you learn in the present tense are the foundation for all other forms.
- Tenses: To form past tenses (like Perfekt or Präteritum), you will conjugate
habenorseinand combine it with a past participle (e.g., gespielt, gesehen). - Modal Verbs: Verbs like können (can) or wollen (want) have their own unique conjugation patterns.
- Reflexive Verbs: These verbs use the same conjugation but add a reflexive pronoun (e.g., ich wasche mich**).
- Imperative (Commands): These are formed using the verb stem, often from the
duorihrform (e.g., Fahr! Sei still!). - Separable Verbs: Verbs like anrufen (to call) use normal conjugation, but the prefix
an-moves to the end of the clause (Ich rufe dich an**).