Understanding German Verb Conjugation

Understanding German verbs are essential to properly expressing yourself. They can tell someone what you’re doing or plan to do, how you are, where you live, and everything about what makes you who you are. However, German verb conjugation can be tricky, as it’s quite different from using verbs in English. If you’re new to language learning, verb conjugation simply refers to how the stem of a word is changed based on the subject and timing of the action being described. It helps clarify details around an action and is one of the most important parts of German fluency. In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know in order to understand German verb conjugation and how to use them in a sentence.

What is a Conjugated Verb in German?

A conjugated verb in German is simply a verb that’s been changed to reflect the speaker and the tense. Verb conjugation changes based on whether the verb is applied to the speaker (I/me), you, he/she/it, them/they, or we. Different conjugations are often spoken using different German accents as the spelling or pronunciation changes. Verbs will also be conjugated based on whether they’re being talked about in the past, present, or future and whether or not the verb is regular, irregular, or mixed.

In addition to asking yourself who is doing the action, when the action is happening, and what type of verb is being used, you’ll need to understand how verbs change based on the subject. In German, verb conjugation follows a pattern based on the following pronouns:

Memorizing this table will help you expedite the conjugation process and ensure that you use the correct form and spelling within the German alphabet. The above German pronouns will be used for German verb conjugation in all tenses (present, past, and future).

How to Conjugate Verbs in German in the Present Tense

German present tense is the most commonly used tense in the German language and verb conjugation is also the simplest. This is because there’s only one verb involved in the sentence and most of the conjugations follow an easily predictable pattern. The following provides more information on how to conjugate verbs based on its type (regular, irregular, and mixed).

How to Conjugate Regular Verbs in German

Conjugating regular verbs in the German present tense follows a few basic steps. First, you need to isolate the German verb infinitive, which will always be what’s listed in the dictionary or book of translations. Next, you drop the ending to isolate the stem of the word. Most regular German verb endings will be in either -en, -ern, or -eln. Verbs that end in -en lose both the e and the n and are replaced with the ending based on the subject.

For example, reden (to talk) becomes rede before the verb ending is added.

Verbs that end in either -ern or -eln will only drop the final n. This means that a verb like wandern will only lose the n and become wander before the verb ending is added.

After isolating the stem accordingly, you add the appropriate verb ending based on who is doing the action. The following tables provide you with more information on appropriate verb endings for regular German verb conjugations in the present tense.

Regular German Verb Conjugation for -en Endings

Regular German Verb Conjugation for -ern Endings

Regular German Verb Conjugations for -eln Endings

How to Conjugate Irregular Verbs in German

Unfortunately, conjugating irregular verbs in German doesn’t include a clear set of rules. Instead, you’ll need to memorize the different irregular verbs based on the tense they’re used in. Include them in your ongoing list of German adjectives you have to memorize. To help you practice your irregular verb conjugations in German, download Tandem today. In the meantime, here are some examples of a few of the most commonly used irregular verbs in the German present tense.

How to Conjugate Mixed Verbs in German

When conjugating mixed verbs in German, the vowels often change. However, these will also rely on memorization rather than strict rules. Mixed verbs are usually conjugated as regular verbs in the present, and irregular verbs in the past. Some of the most common mixed verbs include haben, kennen, denken, bringen, wissen, and rennen.

How to Conjugate Verbs in German in the Past Tense

Conjugating German verbs in the past tense also depends on whether they’re regular, irregular, or modal but they follow a similar pattern as the present tense. Regular German verb conjugation for past tense uses the same rules above for isolating the stem and adding the correct verb ending. This is the same for verbs that end in either -en, -ern, or -eln:

Irregular German verbs in the past tense are, again, irregular and don’t follow a distinct pattern. Some examples of the irregular German verbs listed above in the past tense include the following:

How to Conjugate Verbs in German in the Future Tense

Conjugating German verbs in the future tense is the easiest, as it only uses the infinitive of the verb you want to use + the present tense of werden. This is for every future-tense verb, whether it’s regular or irregular. The structure is as follows:

Trying to master German verb conjugation can be overwhelming at first, but regular verbs follow a simple, easy to remember rule. The tricky part comes when trying to navigate the irregular or mixed verbs. In addition to memorization, one of the best ways to improve your fluency is to partner with a native German speaker on Tandem. Tandem offers a unique language learning experience that will help you deepen your understanding of German while you practice using conjugated verbs in spoken communication. All you need to do is download the app, sign up, and find a native speaker of German, or any other language you wish to learn. Once you match, you’ll begin communicating through language exchange and one-on-one teachings. When trying to navigate the complexities that surround learning a new language, connecting with a like-minded native speaker can be extremely beneficial. To join our worldwide community, sign up for Tandem today!