German conjugation
German verbs split into weak (regular) verbs like machen, which form their past with -te- and a participle in -t (machte, gemacht), and strong (irregular) verbs like fahren, which change their stem vowel instead (fuhr, gefahren). A small group of mixed verbs does both (bringen → brachte, gebracht).
German verb endings chart
German present-tense endings are the same for almost every verb: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en. Strong verbs may change their vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms (ich fahre, du fährst, er fährt), and stems ending in -t or -d add an -e- for pronunciation (du arbeitest).
Separable prefixes
Verbs like aufstehen, anrufen and einkaufen split in main clauses: the prefix jumps to the end (Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf). In the participle, ge- goes between prefix and stem: aufgestanden.
haben or sein?
The Perfekt uses haben for most verbs, but sein for verbs of movement from A to B (gehen, fahren, fliegen) and change of state (werden, sterben, einschlafen), plus sein and bleiben themselves.
Konjunktiv II for politeness
Hätte, wäre, könnte and würde are the polite workhorses of German: Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee. Könnten Sie mir helfen?
The 260 most common German verbs
Ordered by how often they appear in everyday German. Each links to a full table with every tense.
- 1seinto be
- 2habento have
- 3werdento become
- 4könnento be able to, can
- 5müssento have to, must
- 6sagento say, tell
- 7machento do, make
- 8gebento give
- 9kommento come
- 10sollento be supposed to, should
- 11wollento want
- 12gehento go, walk
- 13wissento know (facts)
- 14sehento see
- 15lassento let, leave
- 16stehento stand
- 17findento find
- 18bleibento stay, remain
- 19liegento lie, be located
- 20heißento be called
- 21denkento think
- 22nehmento take
- 23tunto do
- 24dürfento be allowed to, may
- 25glaubento believe, think
- 26haltento hold; to stop
- 27nennento name, call
- 28mögento like
- 29zeigento show
- 30führento lead, guide
- 31sprechento speak, talk
- 32bringento bring
- 33lebento live
- 34fahrento drive, go (by vehicle)
- 35meinento think, mean
- 36fragento ask
- 37kennento know, be acquainted with
- 38geltento be valid, apply
- 39stellento put, place
- 40spielento play
- 41arbeitento work
- 42brauchento need
- 43folgento follow
- 44lernento learn
- 45bestehento pass (exam); to consist
- 46verstehento understand
- 47setzento set, place; (sich) to sit down
- 48bildento form, build
- 49ändernto change, alter
- 50verlierento lose
- 51beginnento begin
- 52erklärento explain
- 53entsprechento correspond to
- 54sitzento sit
- 55schreibento write
- 56laufento run/walk
- 57erkennento recognize
- 58entstehento arise, originate
- 59schaffento manage; to create
- 60handelnto act; to deal with
- 61wendento turn
- 62erreichento reach, achieve
- 63tragento carry, wear
- 64wachsento grow
- 65öffnento open
- 66erwartento expect
- 67verlassento leave (a place)
- 68entscheidento decide
- 69fallento fall
- 70gefallento please, to like
- 71hoffento hope
- 72kaufento buy
- 73dankento thank
- 74feiernto celebrate
- 75wartento wait
- 76klingento sound
- 77liebento love
- 78lesento read
- 79rufento call/shout
- 80rettento save/rescue
- 81sendento send
- 82drückento press/push
- 83wählento choose/vote
- 84bittento ask/request
- 85entwickelnto develop
- 86bewegento move
- 87singento sing
- 88wirkento seem/have effect
- 89schließento close
- 90essento eat
- 91trinkento drink
- 92schlafento sleep
- 93helfento help
- 94anfangento begin/start
- 95versuchento try
- 96verändernto change/alter
- 97benötigento need/require
- 98verwendento use
- 99betrachtento consider/observe
- 100betreffento concern/affect
- 101existierento exist
- 102produzierento produce
- 103planento plan
- 104prüfento check, examine
- 105sichernto secure, save
- 106sorgento care for, worry
- 107verbindento connect, bandage
- 108vermeidento avoid
- 109verhindernto prevent
- 110vergessento forget
- 111verdienento earn
- 112verlangento demand, require
- 113gewinnento win
- 114verkaufento sell
- 115kämpfento fight
- 116sparento save (money)
- 117teilento share, divide
- 118treibento do (sport), drive
- 119wandernto hike
- 120weckento wake (someone)
- 121weinento cry
- 122wiegento weigh
- 123wischento wipe
- 124wohnento live, reside
- 125wundernto surprise
- 126zahlento pay
- 127zählento count
- 128zerstörento destroy
- 129ziehento pull / to move
- 130zwingento force
- 131ankommento arrive
- 132anrufento call (phone)
- 133antwortento answer
- 134freuento be glad (reflexive)
- 135bedeutento mean
- 136bemerkento notice
- 137benutzento use
- 138berichtento report
- 139beschreibento describe
- 140besitzento own/possess
- 141besuchento visit
- 142bewertento evaluate/rate
- 143bezahlento pay for
- 144bindento bind/tie
- 145blickento look/glance
- 146bohrento drill
- 147brechento break
- 148brennento burn
- 149bewahrento preserve/keep
- 150dienento serve
- 151drehento turn, rotate
- 152dringento penetrate, press forward
- 153druckento print
- 154duftento smell nice, be fragrant
- 155duldento tolerate, endure
- 156eilento hurry, rush
- 157empfangento receive, welcome
- 158empfehlento recommend
- 159empfindento feel, perceive
- 160endento end, finish
- 161entdeckento discover
- 162entfernento remove
- 163entgehento escape, avoid
- 164enthaltento contain
- 165entlassento dismiss, discharge
- 166entziehento withdraw, deprive of
- 167erfahrento learn, find out
- 168erfindento invent
- 169erfüllento fulfill
- 170ergebento result in, yield
- 171ergreifento seize, grab
- 172erhaltento receive, preserve
- 173erhöhento raise, increase
- 174erinnernto remind
- 175erklingento sound, resound
- 176erlebento experience
- 177ermöglichento enable, make possible
- 178ernährento feed, nourish
- 179eröffnento open (formally)
- 180erscheinento appear
- 181erschreckento frighten / be startled
- 182ersetzento replace
- 183erwähnento mention
- 184erweiternto expand, extend
- 185erzählento tell, narrate
- 186erzeugento produce, generate
- 187fassento grasp, seize
- 188fehlento be missing/lacking
- 189festlegento determine, fix, set
- 190flechtento braid, weave
- 191fliegento fly
- 192fliehento flee
- 193fließento flow
- 194fordernto demand
- 195fördernto promote, support
- 196formento form, shape
- 197forschento research
- 198fressento eat (of animals)
- 199fürchtento fear
- 200gehörento belong
- 201gelingento succeed
- 202genießento enjoy
- 203geratento get into (a state)
- 204geschehento happen
- 205gestaltento design/shape
- 206gestehento confess
- 207gewährento grant
- 208gewöhnento get used to
- 209gießento pour/water
- 210gleichento resemble
- 211gratulierento congratulate
- 212greifento grasp/reach
- 213grüßento greet
- 214haftento be liable/stick
- 215hängento hang
- 216hassento hate
- 217hebento lift
- 218heilento cure/heal
- 219herrschento rule/prevail
- 220herstellento produce/manufacture
- 221hindernto hinder/prevent
- 222hinweisento point out
- 223hustento cough
- 224informierento inform
- 225interessierento interest
- 226investierento invest
- 227kämmento comb
- 228kennenlernento get to know / meet
- 229klagento complain
- 230kletternto climb
- 231klopfento knock
- 232kochento cook
- 233kritisierento criticize
- 234kümmernto take care of
- 235lachento laugh
- 236landento land
- 237lehnento lean
- 238leidento suffer
- 239leihento lend / borrow
- 240leitento lead / manage
- 241leuchtento shine / glow
- 242liefernto deliver
- 243lobento praise
- 244lohnento be worth it
- 245lösento solve / dissolve
- 246lächelnto smile
- 247malento paint
- 248meldento report
- 249messento measure
- 250mischento mix
- 251nutzento use
- 252ordnento arrange, organize
- 253packento pack
- 254passento fit, suit
- 255passierento happen
- 256pflegento take care of, nurse
- 257quälento torment
- 258rauchento smoke
- 259rechnento calculate, count on
- 260regnento rain
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German conjugation FAQ
How many tenses are there in German?
German has six tenses in the indicative: Präsens, Präteritum, Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt, Futur I and Futur II. In conversation the Präsens and Perfekt do most of the work; the Präteritum dominates in writing, except for sein, haben and the modal verbs, which use it in speech too.
Is German verb conjugation hard?
It is one of the more regular systems: the present-tense endings are nearly identical for all verbs. The real work is learning the stem changes of the roughly 200 strong verbs and which verbs take sein in the Perfekt.
What are the German modal verbs?
The six modals are können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen (plus möchten). They are irregular in the singular of the present (ich kann, ich muss) and push the main verb to the end of the clause as an infinitive.