Conjugation of german verbs. General notions.Konjugation der Verben.

 

Building timeBildung der Zeitformen

If we want to express an action in time (present, past, future) we need to habe the ability to conjugate verbs.When we are conjugating a verb, it changes it’s shape according to person, number and time. For each time there are some rules that have to be learned in order to conjugate a verb.

What is the conjugation of verbs? The conjugation is a procedure through which we modify the shape of the verb according to each pronoun.

Example:

Let’s conjugate the verb ”to go”

	Singular number	Plural number
Person I	I go	we go
Person II	you go	you go
Person III	he, she, it goes	they go

As we already know according to their conjungation there are two types of verbs:

- Regular verbs (Regelmäßige Verben) – also called weak verbs

- Irregular verbs (Unregelmäßige Verben) – also called strong verbs

 

The conjugation of regular verbs is simple because it shares the same rule for al this kind of verbs.

 

1. The present (Gegenwart)

It is formed by adding the following endings to the root of the infinitive verb

	singular number	plural number
1st person	- e	- en
2nd person	- (e)st	- (e)t
3rd person	-    (e)t	- en

 

Observație!The infinitive verb is the regular verb as found in the dictionary.

The root of the infinitive verb is obtained by eliminating the ending -en

 Example:

the verb ”to walk” = ”gehen”

"gehen" is the infinitive form of the verb, the root is obtained by cutting the ending "-en", this way we get "geh". Now we have to add to "geh" an ending from the above table.

 

1st person, singular we will have the following situation:

to walk = gehen

gehen + e, results in ”gehe”

I walk – Ich gehe

to say = sagen

sagen + e, results in ”sage”

I say – Ich sage

The conjugation of regular verbs in present tense

 

Let's conjugate the verb "to do" = "machen"

machen + an ending from the above table

We get:

	Singular number	Plural number
Person I	ich mache	wir machen
Person II	du machst	ihr macht
Person III	er, sie, es macht	sie, Sie machen

 

There is a category of verbs in the frame of regular verbs wich conjugation is made a bit differently

This verbs, after the elimination of the ending "-en", if they are ending in “t”, “d”,” m” or “n” we introduce the vowel "e" between the root and the endings. This applies only for 2nd and 3rd person - singular, and 2nd person - plural

Let's see an example:

The verb ”to work” = ”arbeiten”

arbeiten + e + an ending from the above table for each person (pronoun), singular and plural

	Singular number	Plural number
Person I	ich arbeite	wir arbeiten
Person II	du arbeitest	ihr arbeitet
Person III	er, sie, es arbeitet	sie, Sie arbeiten

 

 

Examples of this kind of verbs: antworten = to answer; arbeiten = to work; atmen = to breathe; begegnen = to meet; beobachten = to observe; bilden = toformulate; bitten = to invite; finden = to find; heiraten = to marry; mieten = to rent; öffnen = to open; rechnen = to calculate; reden = to speak; retten = to save; trocknen = to get dry; warten = to wait; zeichnen = to draw etc.

 

The conjugation of irrregular verbs in present tense

 

- during the conjugation we use the same endings as in the case of regular verbs

-    during the conjugation it takes place a vowel change in the root of the verb at 2nd and 3rd person singular

Example:

sehen = to see

sehen + an ending form the above table according to person and number

it takes place a vowel change: e → ie

	singular number	plural number
Person I	ich sehe	wir sehen
Person II	du siehst	ihr seht
Person III	er, sie, es sieht	sie, Sie sehen

Remember! The vowel change takes place only for 2nd and 3rd person singular. In plural it all remains the same as in the case of regular verbs

Table with the most common irregular (strong) german verbs that change their vowels for 2nd and 3rd person during the conjugation (present).

	2nd person singular du (you)	3rd person singular: er, sie, es (he, she, it)
e → i
brechen = to break	brichst	bricht
essen = to eat	isst	isst
geben = to give	gibst	gibt
helfen = to help	hilfst	hilft
nehmen = to take	nimmst	nimmt
sprechen = to talk	sprichst	spricht
treffen = to meet	triffst	trifft
vergessen = to forget	vergisst	vergisst
werfen = to throw	wirfst	wirft
e → ie
befehlen = to command	befiehlst	befiehlt
empfehlen = to recommand	empfiehlst	empfiehlt
geschehen = to happen	-	geschieht
lesen = to read	liest	liest
a → ä
blasen = to blow	bläst	bläst
fahren = to drive/to travel	fährst	fährt
fangen = to catch	fängst	fängt
halten = to hold	hältst	hält
laden = to load	lädst	lädt
lassen = to leave	lässt	lässt
schlafen = to sleeep	schläfst	schläft
schlagen = to hit	schlägst	schlägt
tragen = to pull	trägst	trägt
waschen = to wash	wäschst	wäscht
au → äu
laufen = to run	läufst	läuft
saufen = to get drunk	säufst	säuft