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Verbs: Conjugation (1)
How German verbs change form for each subject — regular patterns, stem-changers, and the essential irregulars.
How German verb conjugation works
In English, verbs barely change — "I play, you play, we play." In German, the verb ending changes depending on who is doing the action. Every German verb has a stem (the core meaning) and an ending (which tells you the subject).
To find the stem, take the infinitive (the dictionary form, which always ends in -en or -n) and remove that ending. For example: machen → stem = mach. Then add the correct ending for the subject.
This is the single most important pattern in German grammar. Once you know the six endings, you can conjugate hundreds of regular verbs.
To find the stem, take the infinitive (the dictionary form, which always ends in -en or -n) and remove that ending. For example: machen → stem = mach. Then add the correct ending for the subject.
This is the single most important pattern in German grammar. Once you know the six endings, you can conjugate hundreds of regular verbs.
Ich mache die Hausaufgaben.
I do the homework.
machen = to do/make. Stem = mach + ending -e for "ich." Die Hausaufgaben = the homework (always plural in German).
Du machst das gut!
You're doing that well!
Stem = mach + ending -st for "du." The "du" form adds -st to the stem.
Er macht Musik.
He makes music.
Stem = mach + ending -t for "er." The same ending applies to "sie" (she) and "es" (it).
Wir machen eine Party.
We're having a party.
Stem = mach + ending -en for "wir." Notice this looks exactly like the infinitive — wir and the infinitive always match.
Regular verb conjugation table
These six endings work for all regular verbs. Memorize them and you can conjugate most German verbs correctly. The "wir" and "sie/Sie" forms always look identical to the infinitive. The "er/sie/es" and "ihr" forms share the same ending (-t).
| Person | Ending | machen | spielen | lernen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | ich mache | ich spiele | ich lerne |
| du | -st | du machst | du spielst | du lernst |
| er/sie/es | -t | er macht | sie spielt | es lernt |
| wir | -en | wir machen | wir spielen | wir lernen |
| ihr | -t | ihr macht | ihr spielt | ihr lernt |
| sie/Sie | -en | sie machen | sie spielen | sie lernen |
Wir spielen Fußball im Park.
We play football in the park.
spielen = to play. "Wir" form takes -en, so it looks identical to the infinitive.
Ihr lernt Deutsch sehr schnell!
You (plural) are learning German very fast!
lernen = to learn. "Ihr" form takes -t, the same ending as "er/sie/es."
Sie machen das sehr gut.
You (formal) are doing that very well.
"Sie" (formal you) always takes the same form as "sie" (they) — the -en ending. You can only tell them apart from context and capitalization.
Spelling rules for regular verbs
Some regular verbs need small spelling adjustments to keep pronunciation natural. These verbs still follow the regular pattern — they just add or drop a letter for ease of speaking. There are three rules to know.
Rule 1: Stems ending in -t, -d, -chn, -ffn, -gn
An extra -e- is inserted before the endings -st and -t to make them pronounceable. Without it, "arbeitst" would be a tongue-twister.
An extra -e- is inserted before the endings -st and -t to make them pronounceable. Without it, "arbeitst" would be a tongue-twister.
Du arbeitest heute lange.
You're working a long time today.
arbeiten = to work. Stem = arbeit. "Du" form: arbeitest (not "arbeitst") — extra -e- inserted because the stem ends in -t.
Er arbeitet bei Siemens.
He works at Siemens.
"Er" form: arbeitet (not "arbeitt") — extra -e- inserted. Same rule applies to: finden (du findest, er findet), öffnen (du öffnest, er öffnet), rechnen (du rechnest, er rechnet).
Ihr findet das Buch interessant.
You (plural) find the book interesting.
finden = to find. Stem = find. "Ihr" form: findet — extra -e- because the stem ends in -d. The "ihr" form also gets this buffer.
Rule 2: Stems ending in -s, -ß, -z, -x
The "du" form normally adds -st, but since the stem already ends in an s-sound, the s is dropped — you just add -t. This means the "du" form looks identical to the "er/sie/es" form.
The "du" form normally adds -st, but since the stem already ends in an s-sound, the s is dropped — you just add -t. This means the "du" form looks identical to the "er/sie/es" form.
Du reist gern nach Italien.
You like to travel to Italy.
reisen = to travel. Stem = reis. "Du" form: reist (not "reisst") — the -s from -st is dropped because the stem already ends in -s.
Du tanzt sehr gut!
You dance very well!
tanzen = to dance. Stem = tanz. "Du" form: tanzt (not "tanzst") — same rule, stem ends in -z.
Rule 3: Verbs ending in -eln
For the "ich" form, the e of the stem is dropped: sammeln → ich sammle (not "ich sammele"). The "wir/sie" forms use -n instead of -en: wir sammeln.
For the "ich" form, the e of the stem is dropped: sammeln → ich sammle (not "ich sammele"). The "wir/sie" forms use -n instead of -en: wir sammeln.
Ich sammle Briefmarken.
I collect stamps.
sammeln = to collect. "Ich" form: ich sammle — the stem loses its -e- (sammeln → samml-) then adds the regular -e ending.
Ich wechsle das Geld.
I'm changing the money.
wechseln = to change/exchange. Same pattern: ich wechsle (not "ich wechsele"). Also applies to: klingeln (ich klingle), lächeln (ich lächle).
Stem-changing verbs
These are the trickiest regular-ish verbs at A1 level. They follow all the normal endings (-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en) but the stem vowel changes for du and er/sie/es only. The wir, ihr, and sie/Sie forms keep the original vowel. There are three vowel change patterns:
Pattern 1: e → i
The stem vowel e becomes i in the du and er/sie/es forms. Common verbs: sprechen, geben, nehmen, essen, helfen, treffen.
The stem vowel e becomes i in the du and er/sie/es forms. Common verbs: sprechen, geben, nehmen, essen, helfen, treffen.
Ich spreche Deutsch.
I speak German.
sprechen = to speak. "Ich" form keeps the original stem vowel e — no change for ich/wir/ihr/sie.
Du sprichst sehr gut Englisch!
You speak English very well!
"Du" form: the stem vowel changes from e → i, so sprech- becomes sprichst. This only happens for du and er/sie/es.
Er gibt mir das Buch.
He gives me the book.
geben = to give. "Er" form: geb- becomes gibt. Note that "nehmen" is extra irregular: du nimmst, er nimmt (the h disappears and m doubles).
Sie isst gern Pizza.
She likes to eat pizza.
essen = to eat. "Sie" (she) form: ess- becomes isst. Don't confuse with "sie isst" (she eats) and "sie ist" (she is) — listen for the long vs. short vowel.
Pattern 2: e → ie
The stem vowel e becomes ie (a longer sound) in the du and er/sie/es forms. Common verbs: lesen, sehen, empfehlen.
The stem vowel e becomes ie (a longer sound) in the du and er/sie/es forms. Common verbs: lesen, sehen, empfehlen.
Ich lese ein Buch.
I'm reading a book.
lesen = to read. "Ich" form keeps the original vowel: ich lese.
Du liest die Zeitung.
You're reading the newspaper.
"Du" form: les- becomes liest. The e → ie change. Note: "du liest" looks identical to "er liest" because the -s from -st merges with the stem's s.
Er sieht einen Film.
He's watching a movie.
sehen = to see/watch. "Er" form: seh- becomes sieht. The stem vowel changes from e to ie.
Sie empfiehlt das Restaurant.
She recommends the restaurant.
empfehlen = to recommend. "Sie" (she) form: empfehl- becomes empfiehlt. Same e → ie pattern.
Pattern 3: a → ä
The stem vowel a becomes ä (umlaut) in the du and er/sie/es forms. Common verbs: fahren, schlafen, tragen, waschen, laufen (au → äu).
The stem vowel a becomes ä (umlaut) in the du and er/sie/es forms. Common verbs: fahren, schlafen, tragen, waschen, laufen (au → äu).
Ich fahre mit dem Bus.
I'm going by bus.
fahren = to drive/go (by vehicle). "Ich" form keeps the original vowel: ich fahre.
Du fährst zu schnell!
You're driving too fast!
"Du" form: fahr- becomes fährst. The a → ä change only happens for du and er/sie/es.
Er schläft noch.
He's still sleeping.
schlafen = to sleep. "Er" form: schlaf- becomes schläft. The a gets an umlaut.
Sie läuft jeden Morgen im Park.
She runs in the park every morning.
laufen = to run/walk. "Sie" (she) form: lauf- becomes läuft. Here au → äu (the same umlaut principle).
Full conjugation of three key stem-changing verbs:
| Person | sprechen (e→i) | lesen (e→ie) | fahren (a→ä) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | ich spreche | ich lese | ich fahre |
| du | du sprichst | du liest | du fährst |
| er/sie/es | er spricht | er liest | er fährt |
| wir | wir sprechen | wir lesen | wir fahren |
| ihr | ihr sprecht | ihr lest | ihr fahrt |
| sie/Sie | sie sprechen | sie lesen | sie fahren |
sein — to be
Sein is the most important verb in German and completely irregular — every form looks different. There is no pattern to derive from the infinitive. You must memorize all six forms. It's used for identity, descriptions, professions, locations, and as a helper verb in past tense.
| Person | sein | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | bin | I am |
| du | bist | you are |
| er/sie/es | ist | he/she/it is |
| wir | sind | we are |
| ihr | seid | you (plural) are |
| sie/Sie | sind | they are / you (formal) are |
Ich bin Studentin.
I am a (female) student.
sein = to be. "Ich" form = bin. No article before professions in German — you say "Ich bin Studentin" not "Ich bin eine Studentin."
Bist du müde?
Are you tired?
"Du" form = bist. In yes/no questions, the verb comes first. müde = tired.
Das Wetter ist heute schön.
The weather is nice today.
"Es/das" form = ist. das Wetter (neutrum) = the weather · schön = nice/beautiful.
Wir sind aus Deutschland.
We are from Germany.
"Wir" form = sind. Note that "sie/Sie sind" uses the same form. aus = from (origin).
haben — to have
Haben is the second most important verb. It's slightly irregular: the stem loses the b in the du and er/sie/es forms (hab → ha), and the du form gets an extra s-sound. Haben is used for possession, age, and as a helper verb for most past tense sentences.
| Person | haben | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | habe | I have |
| du | hast | you have |
| er/sie/es | hat | he/she/it has |
| wir | haben | we have |
| ihr | habt | you (plural) have |
| sie/Sie | haben | they have / you (formal) have |
Ich habe zwei Brüder.
I have two brothers.
haben = to have. "Ich" form = habe (regular). der Bruder (maskulin) = brother → plural: die Brüder.
Hast du Zeit?
Do you have time?
"Du" form = hast (the b disappears: hab → ha + st). die Zeit (feminin) = time. Very common question in everyday German.
Sie hat eine Katze.
She has a cat.
"Sie" (she) form = hat (the b disappears: hab → ha + t). die Katze (feminin) = cat.
Wir haben Hunger.
We are hungry. (Literally: We have hunger.)
"Wir" form = haben (same as infinitive). In German, you "have hunger" rather than "are hungry." Same pattern: Durst haben = to be thirsty.
werden — to become
Werden means "to become" and is also used as a helper verb to form the future tense and the passive voice (you'll learn those later). It has stem changes in the du and er/sie/es forms: the e changes to i, and the er/sie/es form drops the expected -t ending, becoming just wird.
| Person | werden | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | werde | I become |
| du | wirst | you become |
| er/sie/es | wird | he/she/it becomes |
| wir | werden | we become |
| ihr | werdet | you (plural) become |
| sie/Sie | werden | they become / you (formal) become |
Ich werde Arzt.
I'm becoming a doctor.
werden = to become. "Ich" form = werde. No article before professions: "Ich werde Arzt" not "Ich werde ein Arzt."
Du wirst rot!
You're turning red!
"Du" form = wirst. Stem vowel changes e → i. rot = red. Werden is used for changes of state.
Es wird kalt.
It's getting cold.
"Es" form = wird (not "wirdt"). Stem vowel changes e → i and the ending is just -d, not -dt. kalt = cold. Very common for weather.
Die Tage werden länger.
The days are getting longer.
"Die Tage" is plural, so the verb takes the "sie" form = werden. länger = longer (comparative of lang).
Key rules to remember
Regular verbs follow a simple pattern: take the stem (infinitive minus -en) and add the six endings: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en. This covers hundreds of verbs.
Stem-changing verbs (sprechen, lesen, fahren, etc.) use the same endings but change their stem vowel only for du and er/sie/es. The wir/ihr/sie forms stay regular. If you see a vowel change, it's always one of three patterns: e→i, e→ie, or a→ä.
Sein and haben are completely irregular and must be memorized — but they're used so often that you'll internalize them quickly.
When in doubt, remember: the wir and sie/Sie forms always match the infinitive, and the er/sie/es and ihr forms always share the same ending (-t).