Just as in English, German verbs change based on who’s doing the action (person), how many are involved (number), when it’s happening (tense), the attitude or intention behind it (mood), and how it’s being expressed (voice). Understanding German verb conjugation not only ensures accurate communication but also deepens our grasp of the language’s grammatical structure.
If you find yourself overwhelmed when learning those grammatical structures, don’t worry! This guide is designed to simplify the process of conjugating German verbs into 4 steps, just for you and your conversation partner.
Subject Pronouns and Subject Nouns
In German, verbs change based on who’s doing the action – that’s the subject represented by pronouns or nouns. Pronouns in German come in three categories: first person, second person and third person, with variations for singular and plural. Have you ever heard of the formal ‘Sie’ (the formal form of ‘you’) in the second person? The third person pronouns also show gender: “er” for masculine, “sie” for feminine, and “es” for neuter. Let’s take a quick look at the table below for German subject pronouns:
| Subject | Pronoun | “be” |
| I | ich | bin |
| we | wir | sind |
| you (informal) | du | bist |
| you (formal) | Sie | sind |
| you (plural, informal) | ihr | seid |
| he | er | ist |
| she | sie | ist |
| it | es | ist |
| they | sie | sind |
Verb Classification
There are a fascinating variety of verbs in German: weak verbs, strong verbs, and mixed verbs. Imagine weak verbs as wide, easy paths through the woods. But venture deeper, and you’ll encounter the winding trails and challenging mountain paths of strong verbs, full of twists and turns. Mixed verbs? They’re like a mysterious blend of both, offering a taste of everything the forest has to offer—smooth paths and rugged trails alike. So, as you journey through German verbs, prepare for an adventure full of surprises and discoveries!
Weak Verbs (Regular Verbs)
Weak verbs, which constitute the majority of German verbs, follow a regular pattern of conjugation. They retain the verb stem while replacing the original ending (such as -en, -eln, -ern) with inflectional suffixes (such as -e, -st, -t, -en). See the example shown in the table below.
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of “machen” (to do) |
| ich (I) | mache |
| du (you- informal) | machst |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | macht |
| wir (we) | machen |
| ihr (you- plural) | macht |
| sie (they) | machen |
| Sie (you- formal) | machen |
Strong Verbs (Irregular Verbs)
Strong verbs, true to their name, are the rebels of conjugation, showcasing daring and irregular transformations. In the present, simple past, and perfect tenses, strong verbs often exhibit irregular changes, particularly in the stems, where vowel alterations occur.
But don’t worry, the chaos mainly happens in the second and third person singular forms across different tenses. Mastering these will make your learning smoother. Also, understanding their behavior in the perfect tense is crucial. Now, let’s see the example of “lesen” (to read) in the table below!
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of “lesen” (to read) |
| ich (I) | lese |
| du (you- informal) | liest |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | liest |
| wir (we) | lesen |
| ihr (you- plural) | lest |
| sie (they) | lesen |
| Sie (you- formal) | lesen |
Mixed Verbs
Mixed verbs are the peacekeepers of German conjugation, blending traits of both strong and weak verbs. They use the same inflectional suffixes as weak verbs but mix things up with stem changes in the simple past, perfect, and subjunctive II—often involving those tricky vowel shifts.
Sounds complicated, right? But relax! There aren’t too many of them! Some common mixed verbs include “bringen” (to bring), “nennen” (to name), “brennen” (to burn), “rennen” (to run), and “denken” (to think). Now, let’s see how “bringen” (to bring) finds its balance in the simple past below!
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of “denken (to think)“ |
| ich (I) | dachte |
| du (you- informal) | dachtest |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | dachte |
| wir (we) | dachten |
| ihr (you- plural) | dachtet |
| sie (they) | dachten |
| Sie (you- formal) | dachten |
Practice Resources and Reference Tools
It’s time to practice and explore further resources. Here are some valuable tools that may help you to enhance your skills:
Personal Pronouns for A1 Level Learners: This practice link aims to help beginners grasp the usage of different personal pronouns with the verb “to be” (sein) in German, suitable for A1-level learners to practice basic grammar.
The verb ‘to be’ with different personal pronouns in German: Through this exercise, learners will practice and master the conjugation of the verb “to be” with different personal pronouns in German, making it an ideal choice for reinforcing foundational grammar.
Practices for Conjugation of Regular Verbs: This exercise focuses on helping learners practice and understand the conjugation rules of regular verbs in German, essential for improving language proficiency.
Practices for Conjugation of Irregular Verbs: Through these exercises, students will have the opportunity to practice the conjugation forms of irregular verbs in German, enhancing their understanding and proficiency with complex verb conjugations.
Of course, our FluenDay App also offers Structured German Courses, so you can practice German with those bite-sized lessons whenever you have free time!
Besides your own efforts, these resources will help you to greatly enhance your verb conjugation skills and progress in your German learning journey!
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