follow a predictable pattern of conjugation. Here’s the general pattern:
Find the stem: Take the infinitive form of the verb (the form ending in “-en» or “-n») and remove the “-en» or “-n» ending. This leaves you with the verb stem.
Add the correct ending: Add the appropriate ending to the stem based on the subject pronoun.
Here’s an example using the verb «machen» (to make/do):
Infinitive: machen (mah-hen)
Stem: mach-
Now, let’s add the endings:
ich mache (ihh mah-he) – I make/do
du machst (doo mahhst) – you make/do (informal, singular)
er/sie/es macht (air/zee/es mahht) – he/she/it makes/does
wir machen (veer mah-hen) – we make/do
ihr macht (eer mahht) – you make/do (informal, plural)
sie/Sie machen (zee/zee mah-hen) – they make/do / you make/do (formal)
Common Regular Verbs
Here are a few more common regular verbs:
wohnen (vo-nen) – to live
spielen (shpee-len) – to play
lernen (ler-nen) – to learn
arbeiten (ar-bai-ten) – to work
Example Conjugations:
wohnen: ich wohne, du wohnst, er/sie/es wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie/Sie wohnen
spielen: ich spiele, du spielst, er/sie/es spielt, wir spielen, ihr spielt, sie/Sie spielen
Irregular Verb Conjugation
Some German verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the regular pattern. These verbs often change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms.
Common Irregular Verbs:
sein (zain) – to be
haben (hah-ben) – to have
essen (es-sen) – to eat
trinken (trin-ken) – to drink
sprechen (shpre-hen) – to speak
Conjugations of «sein» and «haben»
These are extremely important verbs, so memorize them!
sein (to be):
ich bin (ihh bin) – I am
du bist (doo bist) – you are (informal, singular)
er/sie/es ist (air/zee/es ist) – he/she/it is
wir sind (veer zint) – we are
ihr seid (eer zait) – you are (informal, plural)
sie/Sie sind (zee/zee zint) – they are / you are (formal)
haben (to have):
ich habe (ihh hah-be) – I have
du hast (doo hahst) – you have (informal, singular)
er/sie/es hat (air/zee/es haht) – he/she/it has
wir haben (veer hah-ben) – we have
ihr habt (eer hahpt) – you have (informal, plural)
sie/Sie haben (zee/zee hah-ben) – they have / you have (formal)
Conjugations of «essen», «trinken», «sprechen» As you can see, the du and er/sie/es forms of these verbs change their stem vowel
essen (to eat):
ich esse (ihh es-se) – I eat
du isst (doo isst) – you eat (informal, singular)
er/sie/es isst (air/zee/es isst) – he/she/it eats
wir essen (veer es-sen) – we eat
ihr esst (eer esst) – you eat (informal, plural)
sie/Sie essen (zee/zee es-sen) – they eat / you eat (formal)
trinken (to drink):
ich trinke (ihh trin-ke) – I drink
du trinkst (doo trinkst) – you drink (informal, singular)
er/sie/es trinkt (air/zee/es trinkt) – he/she/it drinks
wir trinken (veer trin-ken) – we drink
ihr trinkt (eer trinkt) – you drink (informal, plural)
sie/Sie trinken (zee/zee trin-ken) – they drink / you drink (formal)
sprechen (to speak):
ich spreche (ihh shpreh-he) – I speak
du sprichst (doo shprihst) – you speak (informal, singular)
er/sie/es spricht (air/zee/es shpriht) – he/she/it speaks
wir sprechen (veer shpreh-hen) – we speak
ihr sprecht (eer shpreht) – you speak (informal, plural)
sie/Sie sprechen (zee/zee shpreh-hen) – they speak / you speak (formal)
Using Verbs in Sentences
Here are some examples of using verbs in simple sentences:
Ich wohne in Berlin. (ihh vo-ne in ber-leen) – I live in Berlin.
Du spielst Fußball. (doo shpeelst foos-bal) – You play soccer.
Er arbeitet in einem Büro. (air ar-bai-tet in ai-nem bü-ro) – He works in an office.
Wir lernen Deutsch. (veer ler-nen doitch) – We are learning German.
Ich bin müde. (ihh bin mü-de) – I am tired.
Sie hat einen Hund. (zee haht ai-nen hoont) – She has a dog.
Word Bank
machen (mah-hen) – to make/do
wohnen (vo-nen) – to live
spielen (shpee-len) – to play
lernen (ler-nen) – to learn
arbeiten (ar-bai-ten) – to work
sein (zain) – to be
haben (hah-ben) – to have
essen (es-sen) – to eat
trinken (trin-ken) – to drink
sprechen (shpre-hen) – to speak
Exercises
Conjugate the following regular verbs in the present tense: kaufen (to buy), tanzen (to dance), hören (to hear).
Conjugate the verbs sein and haben in the present tense.
Fill in the correct form of the verb in the present tense:
Ich ______ (wohnen) in Köln.
Du ______ (spielen) Gitarre.
Er ______ (arbeiten) als Lehrer.
Wir ______ (lernen) Deutsch.
Sie ______ (sein) freundlich.
Ich ______ (haben) ein Auto.
Translate the following sentences into German:
I live in a house.
You speak English.
He works as a doctor.
We are learning German together.
She is happy.
They have a cat.
That completes Chapter 4! You now have a solid foundation in present tense verb conjugation. Next, we’ll tackle some essential phrases and questions!
Chapter 5: Basic Phrases and Questions
This chapter is all about equipping you