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verbs/dative-verbs.md
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---
title: "Dative Verbs - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Dative Verbs"
description: "German verbs that always take a dative object (even without a preposition) — examples, explanation of why, and a link to the full reference list."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/dative-verbs"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Dative Verbs - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Dative Verbs
There are certain verbs in German that always put their object in the dative, even when there’s no preposition and it seems to be a direct object. In the [Perfect Tenses](/verbs/perfect-tenses.md "5. The Perfect Tenses") section, we mentioned a few that take _sein_, but most of them actually take _haben_. Here are a few more examples:
There are certain verbs in German that always put their object in the dative, even when there's no preposition and it seems to be a direct object. In the [Perfect Tenses](/verbs/perfect-tenses.md "5. The Perfect Tenses") section, we mentioned a few that take _sein_, but most of them actually take _haben_. Here are a few more examples:
antworten – to answer
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| **antworten** (to answer) | _Ich antworte **dir** \[not **dich**\] Morgen._ | I'll answer you tomorrow. |
| **danken** (to thank) | _Ich danke **dir** für deine Hilfe._ | Thank you for your help. |
| **gefallen** (to please) | _Es gefällt **mir** \[not **mich**\]._ | It pleases me / I like it. |
| **helfen** (to help) | _Kann ich **dir** helfen?_ | Can I help you? |
| **raten** (to advise) | _Ich habe **ihm** \[not **ihn**\] geraten, es nicht zu tun._ | I advised him not to do it. |
Ich antworte **dir** \[not **dich\]** Morgen.
I’ll answer you tomorrow
danken – to thank
Ich danke **dir** für deine Hilfe.
\[I\] thank you for your help.
gefallen – to please
Es gefällt **mir \[**not **mich\]**.
It pleases me / I like it
helfen – to help
Kann ich **dir** helfen?
Can I help you?
raten – to advise
Ich habe **ihm** \[not **ihn**\] geraten, es nicht zu tun.
I advised him not to do it.
Sometimes you’ll see verbs like schreiben (to write) identified as dative verbs, because they commonly take a dative (indirect) object in addition to an accusative (direct) one, as when you write a letter \[accusative\] to a friend \[dative\]. That’s not what we’re talking about here, though. A “true” dative verb is one that takes a dative object _without_ an accusative object, and there are only about 50 of them. If you look closely, what’s going on with most of them is that an implied direct object is being dropped, often because it’s being used as the verb itself. You _answer_ someone by giving them an _answer_, help them by giving _help_, advise them by giving _advice_, and so on.
Sometimes you'll see verbs like schreiben (to write) identified as dative verbs, because they commonly take a dative (indirect) object in addition to an accusative (direct) one, as when you write a letter \[accusative\] to a friend \[dative\]. That's not what we're talking about here, though. A "true" dative verb is one that takes a dative object _without_ an accusative object, and there are only about 50 of them. If you look closely, what's going on with most of them is that an implied direct object is being dropped, often because it's being used as the verb itself. You _answer_ someone by giving them an _answer_, help them by giving _help_, advise them by giving _advice_, and so on.
Click [here](/reference/dative-verbs.md "Dative Verbs") for our full list of dative verbs.

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---
title: "The Future Tenses (and Futuristic Present) - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Future Tenses (and Futuristic Present)"
description: "Forming Futur I and Futur II with werden, plus the futuristic present tense (Futuristisches Präsens) and how German differs from English future constructions."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/future-tenses"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Future Tenses (and Futuristic Present) - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Future Tenses (and Futuristic Present)
The basic future tense in German is the Futur I; it’s formed with the present tense of the verb werden (given in [section V.3](/verbs/present-and-simple-past.md "V.3 The Present & Preterite Tenses")) and the infinitive of the main verb. We do the same thing in English with _will_:
The basic future tense in German is the Futur I; it's formed with the present tense of the verb werden (given in [section V.3](/verbs/present-and-simple-past.md "V.3 The Present & Preterite Tenses")) and the infinitive of the main verb. We do the same thing in English with _will_:
_Ich **werde** dort ein Hotel **suchen**._
I **will look for** a hotel there.
_Ich **werde** das Geschirr **spülen.**_
I **will do** the dishes. \[literally, _spülen_ is more like "rinse"\]
_Ich **werde** dort ein Hotel **suchen**._
I **will look for** a hotel there.
_Ich **werde** das Geschirr **spülen.**_
I **will do** the dishes. \[literally, _spülen_ is more like "rinse"\]
To form the Futur II (future perfect), use _werden_ + past participle + _haben/sein_. Again it's similar in English: _will have_. The only difference is that, as always in German, the non-conjugated verbs move to the end of the clause:
_Wenn ihr ankommt **werde** ich ein Hotel **gefunden haben**._
By the time you arrive, I **will have found** a hotel.
_Bis heute Abend **werde** ich das Geschirr **gespült haben**._
_Wenn ihr ankommt **werde** ich ein Hotel **gefunden haben**._
By the time you arrive, I **will have found** a hotel.
_Bis heute Abend **werde** ich das Geschirr **gespült haben**._
By this evening, I **will have done** the dishes.
In English we also have the more casual form "I’m going to..." to replace "I will..." This form does not exist in German, so don’t try to translate it literally: Ich gehe zu \[verb\] would not make sense. Just use werden instead.\*
The futuristic present (Futuristisches Präsens) refers to a tendency in both languages to use the present tense for future events. In English we do this in two main situations: when we have arranged to do something in the near future ("I’m going to the movies tomorrow") and when referring to an action that will take place according to a fixed (usually printed) schedule or timetable ("The train leaves in half an hour"). German also uses the present tense for these situations:
_Meine Freundin **besucht** mich nächstes Wochenende._
My girlfriend **visits** \[is visiting\] me next weekend.
_Der Zug **fährt** in 10 Minuten **ab**._
The train **departs** in ten minutes.
(Note that we often use the progressive aspect in these situations -- "is visiting" -- which [doesn’t exist in German](/verbs/the-continuous-and-progressive-aspects.md "V.15 The Continuous/Progressive Aspects").)
In English we also have the more casual form "I'm going to..." to replace "I will..." This form does not exist in German, so don't try to translate it literally: Ich gehe zu \[verb\] would not make sense. Just use werden instead.\*
The futuristic present (Futuristisches Präsens) refers to a tendency in both languages to use the present tense for future events. In English we do this in two main situations: when we have arranged to do something in the near future ("I'm going to the movies tomorrow") and when referring to an action that will take place according to a fixed (usually printed) schedule or timetable ("The train leaves in half an hour"). German also uses the present tense for these situations:
_Meine Freundin **besucht** mich nächstes Wochenende._
My girlfriend **visits** \[is visiting\] me next weekend.
_Der Zug **fährt** in 10 Minuten **ab**._
The train **departs** in ten minutes.
(Note that we often use the progressive aspect in these situations -- "is visiting" -- which [doesn't exist in German](/verbs/the-continuous-and-progressive-aspects.md "V.15 The Continuous/Progressive Aspects").)
There are a few situations where German uses the futuristic present and English does not. The most important is an offer or promise to do something:
German (Präsens):
Literal English (present):
Correct English (future):
| German (Präsens) | Literal English (present) | Correct English (future) |
|---|---|---|
| **Ich zahle** es dir morgen zurück. | **I pay** you back tomorrow. | **I'll pay** you back tomorrow. |
| **Ich hole** dir eine Jacke. | **I get** you a jacket. | **I'll get** you a jacket. |
**Ich zahle** es dir morgen zurück.
**I pay** you back tomorrow.
**I’ll pay** you back tomorrow.
There's another case where use of the present is optional: predictions or speculation. In the case of speculation, we usually use may/might/maybe in English, and German uses vielleicht (perhaps):
**Ich hole** dir eine Jacke.
**I get** you a jacket.
**I’ll get** you a jacket.
| German (Präsens) | German (Futur I) | English (future) |
|---|---|---|
| Morgen **regnet** es. | Morgen **wird** es **regnen**. | Tomorrow it **will rain**. |
| Vielleicht **gehe** ich nächste Woche. | Vielleicht **werde** ich nächste Woche **gehen**. | I may **go** \[Maybe I'll **go**\] next week. |
There’s another case where use of the present is optional: predictions or speculation. In the case of speculation, we usually use may/might/maybe in English, and German uses vielleicht (perhaps):
German (Präsens):
German (Futur I):
English (future):
Morgen **regnet** es.
Morgen **wird** es **regnen**.
Tomorrow it **will rain**.
Vielleicht **gehe** ich nächste Woche.
Vielleicht **werde** ich nächste Woche **gehen.**
I may **go** \[Maybe I’ll **go**\] next week.
\*(To be more specific: the verb phrase “going to” in English usually means that a future event is already planned or expected (“I’m going to do my homework later”) rather than the announcement of a decision (“I’ll do my homework later”). In German, “going to” will often have werden, or possibly schon or noch. Ich werde meine Hausaufgaben später machen; Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben schon/noch. But an announcement is in the futuristic present: Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben später.)
\*(To be more specific: the verb phrase "going to" in English usually means that a future event is already planned or expected ("I'm going to do my homework later") rather than the announcement of a decision ("I'll do my homework later"). In German, "going to" will often have werden, or possibly schon or noch. Ich werde meine Hausaufgaben später machen; Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben schon/noch. But an announcement is in the futuristic present: Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben später.)
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/the-konjunktiv-moods.md)

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---
title: "Past Participles - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Past Participles"
description: "How to form German past participles for weak, strong, mixed, auxiliary, and -ieren verbs — with the ge- prefix rules and vowel shift patterns."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/past-participles"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Past Participles - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Past Participles
In English, the perfect tense is formed with the present tense of the verb “to have” and the **past participle** of the main verb: **_Have_** _you **written** the report? Yes, I **have written** it._ In German it’s the same, except that sometimes _sein_ (to be) is used instead of _haben_ (to have). But before we get to that, we have to learn how to form German participles.
In English, the perfect tense is formed with the present tense of the verb "to have" and the **past participle** of the main verb: **_Have_** _you **written** the report? Yes, I **have written** it._ In German it's the same, except that sometimes _sein_ (to be) is used instead of _haben_ (to have). But before we get to that, we have to learn how to form German participles.
To form the past participle of weak verbs, add _ge_ to the beginning, then drop the _en_ or _n_ and add _t_ to the end. So _kaufen_, for example, would become _gekauft_.
Strong verbs take the _ge-_ but keep their regular (_–n_ or –_en_) infinitive ending. They also often have a vowel shift. The participle is the third and last irregular form that you have to learn for each strong verb – the first two being the present-tense vowel shift (if any) and the past stem. Strong verbs are often given with all three irregular forms immediately after them, present-past-participle, like this:
**halten** (hält, hielt, gehalten) – to stop
**riechen** (riecht, roch, gerochen) – to smell
**helfen** (hilft, half, geholfen) – to help
**halten** (hält, hielt, gehalten) – to stop
**riechen** (riecht, roch, gerochen) – to smell
**helfen** (hilft, half, geholfen) – to help
(Annoyingly, some language dictionaries and textbooks leave out the present form in their list of strong verbs and just give past-participle. Try to find one that has all three, or just use [our list](/reference/strong-verbs.md).)
Notice that the vowel in the participle can match the infinitive (halten/gehalten), the past (roch/gerochen) or neither (geholfen). Some people find it easier to learn the strong verbs when they’re arranged in these three groups. We’ve presented them that way in our [list of strong verbs](/reference/strong-verbs.md "Strong Verbs"), as well as in a single alphabetical list.
Notice that the vowel in the participle can match the infinitive (halten/gehalten), the past (roch/gerochen) or neither (geholfen). Some people find it easier to learn the strong verbs when they're arranged in these three groups. We've presented them that way in our [list of strong verbs](/reference/strong-verbs.md "Strong Verbs"), as well as in a single alphabetical list.
Mixed verbs are all of the second type, with the vowel in the participle matching the one in the past:
**brennen** (brennt, brannte, gebrannt) – to burn
**bringen** (bringt, brachte, gebracht) – to bring
**denken** (denkt, dachte, gedacht) – to think
**kennen** (kennt, kannte, gekannt) – to know (people)
**nennen** (nennt, nannte, genannt) – to name
**rennen** (rennt, rannte, gerannt) – to run
**senden** (sendet, sandte, gesandt) – to send
**wenden** (wendet, wandte, gewandt) – to turn
**wissen** (weiß, wusste, gewusst) – to know (facts)
| Infinitive | (Präsens, Präteritum, Partizip) | English |
|---|---|---|
| **brennen** | (brennt, brannte, gebrannt) | to burn |
| **bringen** | (bringt, brachte, gebracht) | to bring |
| **denken** | (denkt, dachte, gedacht) | to think |
| **kennen** | (kennt, kannte, gekannt) | to know (people) |
| **nennen** | (nennt, nannte, genannt) | to name |
| **rennen** | (rennt, rannte, gerannt) | to run |
| **senden** | (sendet, sandte, gesandt) | to send |
| **wenden** | (wendet, wandte, gewandt) | to turn |
| **wissen** | (weiß, wusste, gewusst) | to know (facts) |
As for the auxiliary verbs: the participle of _sein_ is _gewesen_, for _haben_ it's _gehabt_, and for _werden_ it's _geworden_ or just _worden_, depending on the context.
The only other exceptions to the above rules are a group of weak verbs that end in _\-ieren_. These get the _t_ but not the _ge_. So _studieren_ (to study) becomes _studiert_ in the participle (not _gestudiert_). In other respects these -_ieren_ verbs are completely weak, and they are some of the easiest German verbs to remember, because you can usually just drop the ending and get pretty close to the English verb. A few more examples:
**diskutieren** – to discuss
**installieren** – to install
**informieren** – to inform
**diskutieren** – to discuss
**installieren** – to install
**informieren** – to inform
**fotografieren** – to photograph
**existieren** – to exist
**markieren** – to mark
**integrieren** – to integrate
**existieren** – to exist
**markieren** – to mark
**integrieren** – to integrate
**realisieren** – to realize / implement
Although the English forms are very similar, many of these –ieren verbs actually come to German through French, and they can occasionally come from German roots as well. Here are a few that are a little more distant from English:
**buchstabieren** – to spell (from the German _Buchstabe_, a letter of the alphabet)
**etablieren** – to establish (from the French _établir_)
**jonglieren** – to juggle (Fr. _jongler_)
**regieren** – to rule, govern (Fr. _régir_)
**buchstabieren** – to spell (from the German _Buchstabe_, a letter of the alphabet)
**etablieren** – to establish (from the French _établir_)
**jonglieren** – to juggle (Fr. _jongler_)
**regieren** – to rule, govern (Fr. _régir_)
**kaschieren** – to conceal (Fr. _cacher_)
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/perfect-tenses.md)

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---
title: "The Perfect Tenses - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Perfect Tenses"
description: "How to form the German Perfekt and Plusquamperfekt with haben or sein, which verbs take sein, and how multiple verbs work in dependent clauses."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/perfect-tenses"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Perfect Tenses - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Perfect Tenses
Once you know a verb’s participle, the _Perfekt_ is formed by adding it to the present tense of _haben_ or _sein_:
Once you know a verb's participle, the _Perfekt_ is formed by adding it to the present tense of _haben_ or _sein_:
**haben:**
| With **haben** | With **sein** |
|---|---|
| _Ich habe gelacht._ (I laughed.) | _Du bist aber gewachsen!_ (Have you ever grown!) |
| _Es hat funktioniert._ (It worked.) | _Wir sind wieder zu Hause angekommen._ (We arrived back home.) |
| _Habt ihr gegessen?_ (Have you (guys) eaten?) | _Sind sie da geblieben?_ (Did they stay there?) |
**sein:**
_Ich habe gelacht._
I laughed.
_Du bist aber gewachsen!_
Have you ever grown!
_Es hat funktioniert._
It worked.
_Wir sind wieder zu Hause angekommen._
We arrived back home.
_Habt ihr gegessen?_
Have you (guys) eaten?
_Sind sie da geblieben?_
Did they stay there?
Your first instinct will be to translate every _Perfekt_ statement in German with the perfect tense in English: "I have laughed," "It has worked," etc. But as you can see above, the most natural translation is usually the simple past (preterite) tense. There is effectively **no connection** between the _Präteritum_/_Perfekt_ distinction in modern German, which is mainly a written/spoken one, and the preterite/perfect distinction in English, which is about the relationship between past and present (see the [next section](/v-verbs/6-perfect-vs-preterite.md "6. Perfect vs. Preterite") for much more on this).
Your first instinct will be to translate every _Perfekt_ statement in German with the perfect tense in English: "I have laughed," "It has worked," etc. But as you can see above, the most natural translation is usually the simple past (preterite) tense. There is effectively **no connection** between the _Präteritum_/_Perfekt_ distinction in modern German, which is mainly a written/spoken one, and the preterite/perfect distinction in English, which is about the relationship between past and present (see the [next section](/verbs/perfect-vs-preterite.md "6. Perfect vs. Preterite") for much more on this).
Most verbs take _haben_, but some of the ones that take _sein_ are pretty common. In general, _sein_ is for verbs showing a change of location (movement) or a change of state/condition (transformation). For example:
**movement:**
_gehen_ – to go
_kommen_ – to come
**movement:**
_gehen_ – to go
_kommen_ – to come
_laufen_ – to walk, run
**change of state:**
_sterben_ – to die
_wachsen_ – to grow
**change of state:**
_sterben_ – to die
_wachsen_ – to grow
_genesen_ – to recover, convalesce
There are some regional differences; generally, as you go further South you'll hear more verbs used with _sein_. For example, in Bavaria it's more common to say _ich bin gesessen_ (I was sitting) but in the rest of Germany it's _ich habe gesessen_.
@@ -52,32 +35,32 @@ Verbs that take _sein_ are always **intransitive**, which means that they don't
In the rare cases where a _sein_ verb is used with a direct object, it takes _haben_ instead:
**intransitive** (_sein_):
_Ich **bin** in die Stadt gefahren._
**intransitive** (_sein_):
_Ich **bin** in die Stadt gefahren._
I drove into the city.
**transitive** (_haben_):
_Ich **habe** meine Schwester in die Stadt gefahren._
**transitive** (_haben_):
_Ich **habe** meine Schwester in die Stadt gefahren._
I drove my sister into the city.
However, it’s more common for verbs to have a transitive variant: one example that still has the shift in English is _fallen_ (with _sein_, as in "a tree **falls**") vs. _fällen_ (with _haben_, as in "to **fell** a tree").  Another is _liegen/legen_, which corresponds to the English "lie/lay." With pairs like these in German, the transitive verb (with _haben_) tends to be weak, while the intransitive verb (with _sein_) is strong.
However, it's more common for verbs to have a transitive variant: one example that still has the shift in English is _fallen_ (with _sein_, as in "a tree **falls**") vs. _fällen_ (with _haben_, as in "to **fell** a tree"). Another is _liegen/legen_, which corresponds to the English "lie/lay." With pairs like these in German, the transitive verb (with _haben_) tends to be weak, while the intransitive verb (with _sein_) is strong.
The _Plusquamperfekt_ is used for an event that had already occurred before some other point in the past. It’s the same as the _Perfekt_, only it uses the past tense (_Präteritum_) of _haben/sein_ instead of the present tense:
The _Plusquamperfekt_ is used for an event that had already occurred before some other point in the past. It's the same as the _Perfekt_, only it uses the past tense (_Präteritum_) of _haben/sein_ instead of the present tense:
_Es **hatte** bereits **angefangen** zu regnen, als Stefan nach Hause kam._
_Es **hatte** bereits **angefangen** zu regnen, als Stefan nach Hause kam._
It **had** already **started** to rain when Stefan came home.
_Wir **waren** bis zur Brücke **gekommen**, bevor uns einfiel, dass wir unser Geld **vergessen hatten**._
_Wir **waren** bis zur Brücke **gekommen**, bevor uns einfiel, dass wir unser Geld **vergessen hatten**._
We **had come** to the bridge before it occurred to us that we **had forgotten** our money.
_Damals **hatten** wir noch nie ein echtes Schloss **gesehen**._
_Damals **hatten** wir noch nie ein echtes Schloss **gesehen**._
At the time, we **had** never **seen** a real castle before.
One of the more complex aspects of the perfect tenses in German is what to do when there are multiple verbs in a dependent clause. Generally, German does not allow two adjacent past participles in the same clause. Instead, both become infinitives. (There is an exception to this, termed the [Ultra-Perfekt](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppeltes_Perfekt) by some, but it’s regional and very non-standard usage.) And when such a bundle of verbs gets grouped together at the end of a dependent clause, the conjugated auxiliary verb goes before the infinitive forms, not after them.
One of the more complex aspects of the perfect tenses in German is what to do when there are multiple verbs in a dependent clause. Generally, German does not allow two adjacent past participles in the same clause. Instead, both become infinitives. (There is an exception to this, termed the [Ultra-Perfekt](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppeltes_Perfekt) by some, but it's regional and very non-standard usage.) And when such a bundle of verbs gets grouped together at the end of a dependent clause, the conjugated auxiliary verb goes before the infinitive forms, not after them.
_Ich habe es gemacht._ (I did it.)
_Ich musste es machen._ (I had to do it.)
_Ich habe es machen müssen._ (I had to do it.)
_Ich habe es gemacht._ (I did it.)
_Ich musste es machen._ (I had to do it.)
_Ich habe es machen müssen._ (I had to do it.)
_Weißt du, bis wann er es hatte machen müssen?_ (Do you know by when he had to have done it?)
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/perfect-vs-preterite.md)

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---
title: "Perfect vs. Preterite - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Perfect vs. Preterite"
description: "When to use the Perfekt vs. Präteritum in German speech and writing — the key rules and how they differ from English past tense usage."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/perfect-vs-preterite"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Perfect vs. Preterite - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Perfect vs. Preterite
In English we use the preterite about 90% of the time, and we tend to reserve the perfect for situations where a past action has ongoing implications or relevance in the present. For example, consider "**have you seen** the Godfather movies?" (perfect – if you haven’t, you still could) versus "**did you see** the circus while it was in town?" (preterite – it’s too late to see it now).
In English we use the preterite about 90% of the time, and we tend to reserve the perfect for situations where a past action has ongoing implications or relevance in the present. For example, consider "**have you seen** the Godfather movies?" (perfect – if you haven't, you still could) versus "**did you see** the circus while it was in town?" (preterite – it's too late to see it now).
In German, this distinction no longer really exists. There is a single concept of the past (_die Vergangenheit_) and **the _Präteritum_ and _Perfekt_ tenses are interchangeable** in expressing it. In practice, Germans use the _Perfekt_ for about 90% of speech; they only use the _Präteritum_ in speech for the auxiliary and modal verbs and a few _very_ common strong or mixed verbs. Overusing the _Präteritum_ in speech will make you sound like a snob or a robot, depending on the context.
Here are the rules you should follow in _spoken_ German:
1\. Always use the preterite for _sein_:
1\. Always use the preterite for _sein_:
_Ich **war** glücklich._
_Ich **war** glücklich._
I was happy.
_Es **war** schönes Wetter auf der Insel._
_Es **war** schönes Wetter auf der Insel._
The weather on the island was nice.
_**Warst** du zu Hause?_
_**Warst** du zu Hause?_
Were you home?
_Wir **waren** noch nie in Griechenland._
_Wir **waren** noch nie in Griechenland._
We've never been to Greece.
2\. Always use the preterite for modal verbs:
_Ich **konnte** es nicht sehen._
_Ich **konnte** es nicht sehen._
I couldn't see it.
_Das **solltest** du schon gestern machen._
_Das **solltest** du schon gestern machen._
You were supposed to do that yesterday.
_**Durfte** er nicht mitkommen?_
_**Durfte** er nicht mitkommen?_
Wasn't he allowed to come along?
_Wir **wollten** aber nicht._
_Wir **wollten** aber nicht._
But we didn't want to.
3\. Use the perfect tense for everything else:
_Ich **bin** ihm am Sonntag **begegnet**._
_Ich **bin** ihm am Sonntag **begegnet**._
I met him on Sunday.
_Was **hast** du ihm **gesagt**?_
_Was **hast** du ihm **gesagt**?_
What did you say to him?
_Es **ist** vor langer Zeit **gemacht worden**._
_Es **ist** vor langer Zeit **gemacht worden**._
It was done a long time ago.
_Meine Vorfahren **haben** Deutschland vor 150 Jahren **verlassen**._
_Meine Vorfahren **haben** Deutschland vor 150 Jahren **verlassen**._
My ancestors left Germany 150 years ago.
You'll hear native speakers using more exceptions than these, of course, but they tend to be verb-by-verb (and often regional) preferences that you have to just pick up by ear.
@@ -66,37 +65,22 @@ Finally I opened my eyes and located the damned fly. Fat and black, it sat on th
Arjouni has used every one of those verbs in the _Präteritum_. Let's review them:
**Strong Verbs**
| Strong verbs | Präteritum |
|---|---|
| _aufschlagen_ (to open) | _schlug auf_ (opened) |
| _sitzen_ (to sit) | _saß_ (sat) |
| _aufstehen_ (to stand up) | _stand auf_ (stood up) |
| _meiden_ (to avoid) | _mied_ (avoided) |
| _gehen_ (to go) | _ging_ (went) |
_Präteritum_
| Weak verbs | Präteritum |
|---|---|
| _orten_ (to locate) | _ortete_ (located) |
| _zielen_ (to aim) | _zielte_ (aimed) |
| _aufsetzen_ (to set) | _setzte auf_ (set) |
| _suchen_ (to look for) | _suchte_ (looked for) |
_aufschlagen_ (to open)
_sitzen_ (to sit)
_aufstehen_ (to stand up)
_meiden_ (to avoid)
_gehen_ (to go)
_schlug auf_ (opened)
_saß_ (sat)
_stand auf_ (stood up)
_mied_ (avoided)
_ging_ (went)
**Weak Verbs**
_Präteritum_
_orten_ (to locate)
_zielen_ (to aim)
_aufsetzen_ (to set)
_suchen_ (to look for)
_ortete_ (located)
_zielte_ (aimed)
_setzte auf_ (set)
_suchte_ (looked for)
Journalistic content generally leans towards the _Präteritum_ too, although not quite as much. In fact, most news stories begin with either the _Präsens_ or the _Perfekt_ before switching back to the _Präteritum_. For [example](http://www.morgenpost.de/vermischtes/stars-und-promis/article116851748/Brad-Pitts-unanstaendiges-Geburtstagsgeschenk-fuer-Jolie.html):
Journalistic content generally leans towards the _Präteritum_ too, although not quite as much. In fact, most news stories begin with either the _Präsens_ or the _Perfekt_ before switching back to the _Präteritum_. For example:
_Angelina Jolie hat mit Partner Brad Pitt in Berlin ihren 38. Geburtstag gefeiert. Dafür mieteten sie eine ganze Restaurant-Etage. Doch das Essen war nicht seine einzige Aufmerksamkeit..._
@@ -106,6 +90,6 @@ This usage of the _Perfekt_ is one of the few remaining echos in German of that
Once you get to less formal writing -- personal emails, online posts, text messages -- it's much harder to offer any clear guidelines. You will definitely see a lot more _Perfekt_ in these formats than you would in a novel, often because we tend to affect a looser "spoken" register (in any language) in these kinds of casual writing. But there's also more use of the _Präteritum_ than in speech. The exact mix of the two depends on the person and the context.
All students of German are told to avoid the _Präteritum_ in speech, but few take it seriously enough. The fact is, many native speakers are unaware that certain preterite forms even _exist_ in their language unless they've learned about them in advanced grammar classes. This is especially true of the second-person preterite forms, since books and newspapers are almost never written in the second person. For example, we know a teacher who was giving an English class to young [Deutsche Bahn](http://www.bahn.com/i/view/index.shtml) employees, and wanted them to come up with the phrase "what did you (guys) do?" in English. Instead of the normal "Was habt ihr gemacht?" (_Perfekt_) he asked them to translate "Was machtet ihr?" (_Präteritum_) so that they wouldn't have "what have you done?" as an option. But "Was machtet ihr?" sounds so odd to modern ears that the students absolutely refused to accept that it was proper German at all!
All students of German are told to avoid the _Präteritum_ in speech, but few take it seriously enough. The fact is, many native speakers are unaware that certain preterite forms even _exist_ in their language unless they've learned about them in advanced grammar classes. This is especially true of the second-person preterite forms, since books and newspapers are almost never written in the second person. For example, we know a teacher who was giving an English class to young Deutsche Bahn employees, and wanted them to come up with the phrase "what did you (guys) do?" in English. Instead of the normal "Was habt ihr gemacht?" (_Perfekt_) he asked them to translate "Was machtet ihr?" (_Präteritum_) so that they wouldn't have "what have you done?" as an option. But "Was machtet ihr?" sounds so odd to modern ears that the students absolutely refused to accept that it was proper German at all!
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/future-tenses.md)

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verbs/prefix-verbs.md
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---
title: "Prefix Verbs - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Prefix Verbs"
description: "How separable and inseparable prefixes work in German — pronunciation rules, the nine inseparable prefixes, and how past participles are formed for prefix verbs."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/prefix-verbs"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Prefix Verbs - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Prefix Verbs
So far we’ve been talking about ‘root’ verbs, but many common verbs in German are formed by combining a root verb with a prefix. We have prefix verbs in English too (**_re_**_calculate, **un**wind_) but they’re much more common in German, and the way they work is a little different.
So far we've been talking about 'root' verbs, but many common verbs in German are formed by combining a root verb with a prefix. We have prefix verbs in English too (**_re_**_calculate, **un**wind_) but they're much more common in German, and the way they work is a little different.
Verb prefixes in German can be **separable** or **inseparable**. A separable prefix moves to the end of a sentence when  the verb is conjugated.\* For example, the mixed verb _bringen_ (to bring) can add the separable prefix _mit_ (with) to become the verb _mitbringen_ (to bring along, bring with). Or add the separable prefix _zu_ (to) to the weak verb _hören_ (to hear) to make _zuhören_ (to listen to):
Verb prefixes in German can be **separable** or **inseparable**. A separable prefix moves to the end of a sentence when the verb is conjugated.\* For example, the mixed verb _bringen_ (to bring) can add the separable prefix _mit_ (with) to become the verb _mitbringen_ (to bring along, bring with). Or add the separable prefix _zu_ (to) to the weak verb _hören_ (to hear) to make _zuhören_ (to listen to):
_**Ich bringe** morgen meinen Freund **mit**._
**I’ll bring** my friend **along** tomorrow.
_**Ich bringe** morgen meinen Freund **mit**._
**I'll bring** my friend **along** tomorrow.
_**Sie hörte** mir **zu**._
_**Sie hörte** mir **zu**._
**She listened to** me.
When the verb is not conjugated – when it’s used with a modal verb, for example – the prefix stays attached:
When the verb is not conjugated – when it's used with a modal verb, for example – the prefix stays attached:
_**Darf** ich meinen Freund **mitbringen**?_
_**Darf** ich meinen Freund **mitbringen**?_
**May** I **bring** my friend **along**?
_Er **will** mir nicht **zuhören**._
He doesn’t **want** **to listen** **to** me.
_Er **will** mir nicht **zuhören**._
He doesn't **want** **to listen** **to** me.
At this point, you may be starting to think of English "phrasal" verbs like “**take out** the garbage,” which are similar in that the extra word can often be moved to the end of the sentence (“**take** the garbage **out**”) and even occasionally stuck onto the beginning (“the **outtakes** from the film”). These can be helpful in conceptualizing separable prefixes, but remember that they’re not quite the same thing grammatically.
At this point, you may be starting to think of English "phrasal" verbs like "**take out** the garbage," which are similar in that the extra word can often be moved to the end of the sentence ("**take** the garbage **out**") and even occasionally stuck onto the beginning ("the **outtakes** from the film"). These can be helpful in conceptualizing separable prefixes, but remember that they're not quite the same thing grammatically.
**Inseparable** prefixes are more like English verb prefixes, although they don’t always have a direct English translation. Inseparable prefixes are never stressed in the pronunciation of the verb. There are nine major inseparable prefixes: _be-_, _emp-_ _ent-_, _er-_, _ge-_, _miss-_, _ver-_, _voll-_ and _zer-_.
**Inseparable** prefixes are more like English verb prefixes, although they don't always have a direct English translation. Inseparable prefixes are never stressed in the pronunciation of the verb. There are nine major inseparable prefixes: _be-_, _emp-_ _ent-_, _er-_, _ge-_, _miss-_, _ver-_, _voll-_ and _zer-_.
Other than these nine, almost all other prefixes in German are separable. Separable prefixes are always stressed in pronouncing the verb. The most common ones are prepositions, like _mit-_ (with) or _zu-_ (to) above.
Finally, there are a few prefixes which can be separable or inseparable, even when attached to the same root verb. The pronunciation rules still apply –  they are stressed when separable and unstressed when inseparable. There’s also a rough logic to the different usages: generally the more figurative meanings of the verb are inseparable, and the literal ones are separable. The classic example of this is **_über_**_setzen_, which can mean _to ferry, carry over_ (literal, separable, stress on ‘über’) or _to translate_ (figurative, inseparable, stress on ‘setz’).
Finally, there are a few prefixes which can be separable or inseparable, even when attached to the same root verb. The pronunciation rules still apply – they are stressed when separable and unstressed when inseparable. There's also a rough logic to the different usages: generally the more figurative meanings of the verb are inseparable, and the literal ones are separable. The classic example of this is **_über_**_setzen_, which can mean _to ferry, carry over_ (literal, separable, stress on 'über') or _to translate_ (figurative, inseparable, stress on 'setz').
Truthfully, though, no one really uses _übersetzen_ in the old separable sense anymore. A better example would be _durchsuchen_, which we used in the section on the Passive voice. _Durchsuchen_ is formed from the weak verb _suchen_  (_to search_) and the prefix _durch_ (_through_). We were using the inseparable form, which means _to thoroughly search_ (a physical space), as the police would do after a crime. In the separable form, it means to literally _search through_ (files, records, mail) and the past participle would have been _durch**ge**sucht_ instead of _durchsucht._
Truthfully, though, no one really uses _übersetzen_ in the old separable sense anymore. A better example would be _durchsuchen_, which we used in the section on the Passive voice. _Durchsuchen_ is formed from the weak verb _suchen_ (_to search_) and the prefix _durch_ (_through_). We were using the inseparable form, which means _to thoroughly search_ (a physical space), as the police would do after a crime. In the separable form, it means to literally _search through_ (files, records, mail) and the past participle would have been _durch**ge**sucht_ instead of _durchsucht._
As that example indicates, prefix verbs are a little irregular in how they form the past participle. An inseparable prefix verb does not take the _ge—_ prefix. But a separable prefix verb takes the ‘ge’ _between_ the prefix and the main verb.
As that example indicates, prefix verbs are a little irregular in how they form the past participle. An inseparable prefix verb does not take the _ge—_ prefix. But a separable prefix verb takes the 'ge' _between_ the prefix and the main verb.
This is easier to visualize with a table. The first column is what you already learned in section V.4, and the next two columns show how prefixes fit in:
**Participle formation for prefix verbs**
 
| Verb type | Root verb (no prefix) | Inseparable prefix | Separable prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Weak** | _ge_ + stem + _t_ → _kaufen_ > **ge**kauf**t** | prefix + stem + _t_ → _**ver**kaufen_ > **ver**kauf**t** | prefix + _ge_ + stem + _t_ → _**ein**kaufen_ > ein**ge**kauf**t** |
| **Weak -ieren** | stem + _t_ → _fotografieren_ > fotografier**t** | prefix + stem + _t_ → _**miss**interpretieren_ > **miss**interpretier**t** | prefix + stem + _t_ → _**an**probieren_ > anprobier**t** |
| **Strong** | _ge_ + irreg. stem + _(e)n_ → _schreiben_ > **ge**schr**ie**b**en** | prefix + irreg. stem + _(e)n_ → _beginnen_ > hat begonnen | prefix + _ge_ + irreg. stem + _(e)n_ → _anbieten_ > hat an**ge**boten |
| **Mixed** | _ge_ + past stem + _t_ → _denken_ > **ge**dach**t** | prefix + past stem + _t_ → _benennen_ > **be**nn**a**n**t** | prefix + _ge_ + past stem + _t_ → _auskennen_ > aus**ge**kannt |
**root verbs** (no prefix)
**inseparable prefix**
**separable prefix**
weak verbs
_ge_ + verb stem + _t kaufen > **ge**kauf**t**_
prefix + verb stem + _t **ver**kaufen > **ver**kauf**t**_
prefix + _ge_ + verb stem + _t_
**_ein_**_kaufen > ein**ge**kauf**t**_
weak –ieren verbs
verb stem + _t_
_fotografieren > fotografier**t**_
prefix + verb stem + _t **miss**interpretieren > **miss**interpretier**t**_
prefix + verb stem + _t_
**_an_**_probieren > anprobier**t**_
strong verbs
_ge_ + irreg. stem + _(e)n_ _schreiben_ > **_ge_**_schr**ie**b**en**_
_prefix_ + irreg. stem + _(e)n beginnen > hat begonnen_
prefix + _ge_ + irreg. stem + _(e)n_
_anbieten > hat an**ge**boten_
mixed verbs
_ge_ + past stem + _t denken > **ge**dach**t**_
prefix + past stem + _t benennen > **be**nn**a**n**t**_
prefix + _ge_ + past stem + _t auskennen > aus**ge**kannt_
 
Separable prefix verbs are especially likely to use the ‘infinitive imperative’ mentioned in V.7, e.g. _Aufpassen!_ (_pay attention!_). And in an infinitive clause – where you’d put _zu_ (to) in front of the verb – a separable verb ‘swallows’ the _zu_ the same way it does with the _ge_ above:
\[example\]
Separable prefix verbs are especially likely to use the 'infinitive imperative' mentioned in V.7, e.g. _Aufpassen!_ (_pay attention!_). And in an infinitive clause – where you'd put _zu_ (to) in front of the verb – a separable verb 'swallows' the _zu_ the same way it does with the _ge_ above.
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/reflexive-verbs.md)

795
verbs/present-and-simple-past.md
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---
title: "The Present & Preterite Tenses - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Present & Preterite Tenses"
description: "How to conjugate German verbs in the Präsens and Präteritum — with full tables for weak (kaufen, reden), strong (fallen), mixed (bringen), modal, and auxiliary verbs."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/present-and-simple-past"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Present & Preterite Tenses - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Present & Preterite Tenses
The _Präsens_ and _Präteritum_ are the two "fully conjugated" forms in German (that is, they don't use an auxiliary verb), so it's good to learn them together. Here’s the weak verb _kaufen_ (to buy):
The _Präsens_ and _Präteritum_ are the two "fully conjugated" forms in German (that is, they don't use an auxiliary verb), so it's good to learn them together. Here's the weak verb _kaufen_ (to buy):
**Präsens**
**Weak verb: _kaufen_ (to buy)**
**Präteritum**
| | Person | Präsens | | Präteritum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | kaufe | I buy | kaufte | I bought |
| | 2nd (du) | kaufst | you buy | kauftest | you bought |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | kauft | he/she/it buys | kaufte | he/she/it bought |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | kaufen | we buy | kauften | we bought |
| | 2nd (ihr) | kauft | you (pl.) buy | kauftet | you (pl.) bought |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | kaufen | they buy | kauften | they bought |
singular
1st
ich
kaufe
I buy
ich
kaufte
I bought
2nd
du
kaufst
you buy
du
kauftest
you bought
3rd
er/sie/es
kauft
he/she/it buys
er/sie/es
kaufte
he/she/it bought
plural
1st
wir
kaufen
we buy
wir
kauften
we bought
2nd
ihr
kauft
you (pl.) buy
ihr
kauftet
you (pl.) bought
3rd
sie/Sie
kaufen
they buy
sie/Sie
kauften
they bought
Notice the pattern: the "en" ending of the infinitive is removed (sometimes it’s just an "n") and replaced with the appropriate highlighted ending. The past tense endings are mostly just the present tense endings with an extra _t_; this is the “weak” past tense ending mentioned in V.I, and it’s directly related to the _–d_ ending in the weak English past tense.
Notice the pattern: the "en" ending of the infinitive is removed (sometimes it's just an "n") and replaced with the appropriate highlighted ending. The past tense endings are mostly just the present tense endings with an extra _t_; this is the "weak" past tense ending mentioned in V.I, and it's directly related to the _–d_ ending in the weak English past tense.
These twelve endings are used for every weak verb in German, without exception. Some of them are hard to pronounce if the verb has certain consonants at the end of the stem; in this case an _e_ is added in between the stem and the ending. For example, here is the weak verb _reden_ (to talk). Notice how without the extra e it would be harder to distinguish among these forms:
**Präsens**
**Präteritum**
singular
1st
ich
rede
I talk
ich
red**e**te
I talked
2nd
du
red**e**st
you talk
du
red**e**test
you talked
3rd
er/sie/es
red**e**t
he/she/it talks
er/sie/es
red**e**te
he/she/it talked
plural
1st
wir
reden
we talk
wir
red**e**ten
we talked
2nd
ihr
red**e**t
you (pl) talk
ihr
red**e**tet
you (pl) talked
3rd
sie/Sie
reden
they talk
sie/Sie
red**e**ten
they talked
Also notice that the _Sie_ form, the formal second person that we learned about in Section 4, is conjugated exactly the same as the third person plural (“they”). This is true for all tenses and moods, and for all types of verbs.
Strong verbs are a little different. Remember that strong verbs form their past tense with a vowel shift rather than an added _t_; some of them also have a (different) vowel shift in the present tense, but only in the 2nd and 3rd person singular. There’s no one rule for these vowel shifts -- you have to learn them when you learn the verb, just as you once learned to say "broke" instead of "breaked" in English. Here’s the strong verb _fallen_ (to fall):
**STRONG VERBS**
**Präsens**
**Präteritum**
singular
1st
ich
falle
I fall
ich
f**iel**
I fell
2nd
du
f**ä**llst
you fall
du
f**iel**st
you fell
3rd
er/sie/es
f**ä**llt
he/she/it falls
er/sie/es
f**iel**
he/she/it fell
plural
1st
wir
fallen
we fall
wir
f**iel**en
we fell
2nd
ihr
fallt
you (pl) fall
ihr
f**iel**t
you (pl) fell
3rd
sie/Sie
fallen
they fall
sie/Sie
f**iel**en
they fell
**Weak verb with epenthetic e: _reden_ (to talk)**
| | Person | Präsens | | Präteritum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | rede | I talk | red**e**te | I talked |
| | 2nd (du) | red**e**st | you talk | red**e**test | you talked |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | red**e**t | he/she/it talks | red**e**te | he/she/it talked |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | reden | we talk | red**e**ten | we talked |
| | 2nd (ihr) | red**e**t | you (pl) talk | red**e**tet | you (pl) talked |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | reden | they talk | red**e**ten | they talked |
Also notice that the _Sie_ form, the formal second person that we learned about in Section 4, is conjugated exactly the same as the third person plural ("they"). This is true for all tenses and moods, and for all types of verbs.
Strong verbs are a little different. Remember that strong verbs form their past tense with a vowel shift rather than an added _t_; some of them also have a (different) vowel shift in the present tense, but only in the 2nd and 3rd person singular. There's no one rule for these vowel shifts -- you have to learn them when you learn the verb, just as you once learned to say "broke" instead of "breaked" in English. Here's the strong verb _fallen_ (to fall):
**Strong verb: _fallen_ (to fall)**
| | Person | Präsens | | Präteritum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | falle | I fall | f**iel** | I fell |
| | 2nd (du) | f**ä**llst | you fall | f**iel**st | you fell |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | f**ä**llt | he/she/it falls | f**iel** | he/she/it fell |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | fallen | we fall | f**iel**en | we fell |
| | 2nd (ihr) | fallt | you (pl) fall | f**iel**t | you (pl) fell |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | fallen | they fall | f**iel**en | they fell |
Notice that the present tense endings are the same as for weak verbs. Also notice that with both strong and weak verbs, the 1st and 3rd person singular are the same in the past tense, and the 1st and 3rd person plural (_we_ and _they_) are the same in both tenses.
Now let’s try a mixed verb. Remember that there are only a few of these, and they combine the strong past stem changes with the weak past endings. Mixed verbs do not have the strong vowel shift in the present tense, except for _wissen_ (which becomes _weiß_). Here is _bringen_ (to bring):
Now let's try a mixed verb. Remember that there are only a few of these, and they combine the strong past stem changes with the weak past endings. Mixed verbs do not have the strong vowel shift in the present tense, except for _wissen_ (which becomes _weiß_). Here is _bringen_ (to bring):
**MIXED VERBS**
**Mixed verb: _bringen_ (to bring)**
**Präsens**
**Präteritum**
singular
1st
ich
bringe
I bring
ich
br**ach**te
I brought
2nd
du
bringst
you bring
du
br**ach**test
you brought
3rd
er/sie/es
bringt
he/she/it brings
er/sie/es
br**ach**te
he/she/it brought
plural
1st
wir
bringen
we bring
wir
br**ach**ten
we brought
2nd
ihr
bringt
you (pl) bring
ihr
br**ach**tet
you (pl) brought
3rd
sie/Sie
bringen
they bring
sie/Sie
br**ach**ten
they brought
| | Person | Präsens | | Präteritum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | bringe | I bring | br**ach**te | I brought |
| | 2nd (du) | bringst | you bring | br**ach**test | you brought |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | bringt | he/she/it brings | br**ach**te | he/she/it brought |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | bringen | we bring | br**ach**ten | we brought |
| | 2nd (ihr) | bringt | you (pl) bring | br**ach**tet | you (pl) brought |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | bringen | they bring | br**ach**ten | they brought |
Modal verbs are irregular in the present singular tenses, and weak in the plural:
**MODAL VERBS: _Präsens_**
**Modal verbs: Präsens**
**dürfen**
**können**
**mögen**
**müssen**
**sollen**
**wollen**
singular
1st
ich
**darf**
**kann**
**mag**
**muss**
**soll**
**will**
2nd
du
**darf**st
**kann**st
**mag**st
**mus**st
**soll**st
**will**st
3rd
er/sie/es
**darf**
**kann**
**mag**
**muss**
**soll**
**will**
plural
1st
wir
dürfen
können
mögen
müssen
sollen
wollen
2nd
ihr
dürft
könnt
mögt
müsst
sollt
wollt
3rd
sie/Sie
dürfen
können
mögen
müssen
sollen
wollen
| | Person | dürfen | können | mögen | müssen | sollen | wollen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | **darf** | **kann** | **mag** | **muss** | **soll** | **will** |
| | 2nd (du) | **darf**st | **kann**st | **mag**st | **mus**st | **soll**st | **will**st |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | **darf** | **kann** | **mag** | **muss** | **soll** | **will** |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | dürfen | können | mögen | müssen | sollen | wollen |
| | 2nd (ihr) | dürft | könnt | mögt | müsst | sollt | wollt |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | dürfen | können | mögen | müssen | sollen | wollen |
You may have guessed that the English modal verbs _can_ and _must_ are directly related to these forms. So is _will_, but be careful, because the way we use it in modern English translates to _werden_ rather than _wollen._ _Ich **werde** es tun_ means _I **will** do it_, while _Ich **will** es tun_ means _I **want to** do it_.
The modal verbs have weak endings in the past tense, but they lose their umlauts and _mögen_ has a stem change:
**MODAL VERBS: _Präteritum_**
**Modal verbs: Präteritum**
**dürfen**
**können**
**mögen**
**müssen**
**sollen**
**wollen**
singular
1st
ich
durfte
konnte
mochte
musste
sollte
wollte
2nd
du
durftest
konntest
mochtest
musstest
solltest
wolltest
3rd
er/sie/es
durfte
konnte
mochte
musste
sollte
wollte
plural
1st
wir
durften
konnten
mochten
mussten
sollten
wollten
2nd
ihr
durftet
konntet
mochtet
musstet
solltet
wolltet
3rd
sie/Sie
durften
konnten
mochten
mussten
sollten
wollten
| | Person | dürfen | können | mögen | müssen | sollen | wollen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | durfte | konnte | mochte | musste | sollte | wollte |
| | 2nd (du) | durftest | konntest | mochtest | musstest | solltest | wolltest |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | durfte | konnte | mochte | musste | sollte | wollte |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | durften | konnten | mochten | mussten | sollten | wollten |
| | 2nd (ihr) | durftet | konntet | mochtet | musstet | solltet | wolltet |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | durften | konnten | mochten | mussten | sollten | wollten |
Finally, the three auxiliary verbs are almost completely irregular, especially _sein_:
**AUXILIARY VERBS**
**Auxiliary verbs: sein, haben, werden**
**sein**
**haben**
**werden**
_Präs._
_Prät._
_Präs._
_Prät._
_Präs._
_Prät._
singular
1st
ich
bin
war
habe
hatte
werde
wurde
2nd
du
bist
warst
hast
hattest
wirst
wurdest
3rd
er/sie/es
ist
war
hat
hatte
wird
wurde
plural
1st
wir
sind
waren
haben
hatten
werden
wurden
2nd
ihr
seid
wart
habt
hattet
werdet
wurdet
3rd
sie/Sie
sind
waren
haben
hatten
werden
wurden
| | Person | sein (Präs.) | sein (Prät.) | haben (Präs.) | haben (Prät.) | werden (Präs.) | werden (Prät.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | bin | war | habe | hatte | werde | wurde |
| | 2nd (du) | bist | warst | hast | hattest | wirst | wurdest |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | ist | war | hat | hatte | wird | wurde |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | sind | waren | haben | hatten | werden | wurden |
| | 2nd (ihr) | seid | wart | habt | hattet | werdet | wurdet |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | sind | waren | haben | hatten | werden | wurden |
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/past-participles.md)

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verbs/present-participles-and-gerunds.md
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---
title: "Present Participles & Gerunds - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Present Participles & Gerunds"
description: "How to form German present participles (verb as adjective, add -d to infinitive) and gerunds (verb as noun, capitalize the infinitive) — with examples."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/present-participles-and-gerunds"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Present Participles & Gerunds - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Present Participles & Gerunds
It's a little harder for native English speakers to remember the difference between these two forms, because in English they have the same -ing ending. But in German (and most other languages) they're formed differently.
The **present participle** is a way of using a verb as an adjective, and in German it's only used right before a noun, as in "**running** water" or "**barking** dogs." It’s formed by adding a –d to the end of the infinitive, then the normal adjective case endings:
The **present participle** is a way of using a verb as an adjective, and in German it's only used right before a noun, as in "**running** water" or "**barking** dogs." It's formed by adding a –d to the end of the infinitive, then the normal adjective case endings:
_Auf der A1 ist **fließender** Verkehr._ (traffic report)
_Auf der A1 ist **fließender** Verkehr._ (traffic report)
\[Smoothly\] **flowing** traffic on the A1.
Don’t confuse the present participle with the more common _past_ participle that we’ve been discussing up till now. You can also use the past participle as an adjective, but of course it has a different meaning (think of _breaking glass_ vs. _broken glass_).
Don't confuse the present participle with the more common _past_ participle that we've been discussing up till now. You can also use the past participle as an adjective, but of course it has a different meaning (think of _breaking glass_ vs. _broken glass_).
A **gerund** is a verb used as a noun, as in "The **Taming** of the Shrew" or "the **running** of the bulls." The gerund in German is just the infinitive, capitalized. (Like all nouns.) All gerunds are neuter, and when there’s a plural, it has no added ending or umlaut.
A **gerund** is a verb used as a noun, as in "The **Taming** of the Shrew" or "the **running** of the bulls." The gerund in German is just the infinitive, capitalized. (Like all nouns.) All gerunds are neuter, and when there's a plural, it has no added ending or umlaut.
You often see the gerund on signs, in both German and English:
_**Rauchen** tötet_
_**Rauchen** tötet_
**Smoking** kills
_**Parken** verboten_
_**Parken** verboten_
No **parking** \[literally "parking forbidden"\]
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/the-continuous-and-progressive-aspects.md)

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verbs/reflexive-verbs.md
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---
title: "Reflexive Verbs - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Reflexive Verbs"
description: "How German reflexive verbs work — reflexive pronoun placement, which verbs require them, and key differences from English reflexive constructions."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/reflexive-verbs"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Reflexive Verbs - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Reflexive Verbs
A reflexive verb is one that refers back to the subject using a reflexive pronoun, as in "Give **yourself** a break!" We covered the reflexive pronouns in [Section IV.2](/nouns/reflexive-pronouns.md "IV.2 Reflexive Pronouns"), but here they are again:
Singular
Plural
Formal
1st
2nd
3rd
1st
2nd
3rd
2nd
**ACC**
mich
dich
sich
uns
euch
sich
sich
**DAT**
mir
dir
English
myself
yourself
him-/her-/
itself
ourselves
yourselves
themselves
\[yourself/
yourselves\]
| | 1st sg | 2nd sg | 3rd sg | 1st pl | 2nd pl | 3rd pl | Formal (Sie) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **ACC** | mich | dich | sich | uns | euch | sich | sich |
| **DAT** | mir | dir | sich | uns | euch | sich | sich |
| *English* | *myself* | *yourself* | *him-/her-/itself* | *ourselves* | *yourselves* | *themselves* | *yourself/yourselves* |
As in English, most verbs _can_ take a reflexive pronoun in one of these positions, but some verbs _require_ them. These **reflexive verbs** in German are usually given with the 3rd person pronoun _sich_ in front of the infinitive. This may seem redundant at times, but there are two reasons you need to learn them this way:
1. There are many actions that drop the reflexive pronoun in English but not in German, so you can’t just translate them word for word. For example, in English you’d say _I’m going to shower_, but in German you say _I’m going to shower **myself**._ (_Ich werde **mich** duschen_). By learning the verb _shower_ as _sich duschen_ rather than just _duschen_, you’ll remember when you have to include a reflexive pronoun.  \[But if you use these verbs non-reflexively (_to shower someone with compliments_), then you don’t need the pronoun.\]
1. There are many actions that drop the reflexive pronoun in English but not in German, so you can't just translate them word for word. For example, in English you'd say _I'm going to shower_, but in German you say _I'm going to shower **myself**._ (_Ich werde **mich** duschen_). By learning the verb _shower_ as _sich duschen_ rather than just _duschen_, you'll remember when you have to include a reflexive pronoun. \[But if you use these verbs non-reflexively (_to shower someone with compliments_), then you don't need the pronoun.\]
2. Some verbs in German have different meanings in their reflexive and non-reflexive forms. For example, _versprechen_ means _to promise_, but _sich versprechen_ means _to misspeak_; _umziehen_ means _to move house_, but _sich umziehen_ means _to change clothes._
As far as where to put the reflexive pronouns, they usually go right after the conjugated verb. In questions or subordinate clauses, where the conjugated verb moves to the end, the reflexive pronoun comes after the subject:
\[examples\]
As far as where to put the reflexive pronouns, they usually go right after the conjugated verb. In questions or subordinate clauses, where the conjugated verb moves to the end, the reflexive pronoun comes after the subject.
The reflexive clauses that sound the most unnatural to English speakers are those where the reflexive pronoun has to be used in addition to a separate direct object. This usually occurs with parts of the body:
German:
_Ich wasche **mir** die Haare._
_Er putzt **sich** die Zähne._
Literal English:
“I wash **myself** the hair.”
“He cleans **himself** the teeth.”
Correct English:
I wash my hair.
He cleans \[brushes\] his teeth.
| German | Literal English | Correct English |
|---|---|---|
| _Ich wasche **mir** die Haare._ | "I wash **myself** the hair." | I wash my hair. |
| _Er putzt **sich** die Zähne._ | "He cleans **himself** the teeth." | He cleans \[brushes\] his teeth. |
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/dative-verbs.md)

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verbs/tenses-and-moods.md
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---
title: "Overview of Tenses & Moods - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Overview of Tenses & Moods"
description: "German verb tenses and moods compared to English — Präsens, Präteritum, Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt, Futur I/II, and the Konjunktiv I/II."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/tenses-and-moods"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Overview of Tenses & Moods - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Overview of Tenses & Moods
A verb’s _tense_ has to do with the time of the action, and its _mood_ has to do with the reality of the action. To start with, here are some of the basic tenses and moods in English. Even if you’ve forgotten their names, the forms should look familiar:
A verb's _tense_ has to do with the time of the action, and its _mood_ has to do with the reality of the action. To start with, here are some of the basic tenses and moods in English. Even if you've forgotten their names, the forms should look familiar:
**TENSE**
**English tenses and moods**
**MOOD**
**Indicative**
**Conditional**
**Imperative**
**Present**
he does it
he would do it
Do it!
**Preterite**
("simple past")
he did it
he would have done it
**Perfect**
he has done it
**Past Perfect**
(“pluperfect”)
he had done it
**Future**
he will do it
**Future Perfect**
he will have done it
| Tense | Indicative | Conditional | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Present** | he does it | he would do it | Do it! |
| **Preterite** ("simple past") | he did it | he would have done it | |
| **Perfect** | he has done it | | |
| **Past Perfect** ("pluperfect") | he had done it | | |
| **Future** | he will do it | | |
| **Future Perfect** | he will have done it | | |
And here are the tenses and moods in German. The statement is the same as above, using _er_ (he), _es_ (it), and the strong verb _tun_ (to do):
**TENSE**
**German tenses and moods**
**MOOD**
| Tense | Indikativ | _Konjunktiv I_ | Konjunktiv II | Imperativ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Präsens** | Er tut es | _Er tue es_ | Er würde es tun | Tu(e) es! |
| **Präteritum** | Er tat es | _Er habe es getan_ | Er hätte es getan | |
| **Perfekt** | Er hat es getan | | | |
| **Plusquamperfekt** | Er hatte es getan | | | |
| **Futur I** | Er wird es tun | _Er werde es tun_ | | |
| **Futur II** | Er wird es getan haben | _Er werde es getan haben_ | | |
**Indikativ**
Be careful: **although most of the German tenses and moods look very much like their English counterparts, there are some big differences in how they're used.** In particular, the present and perfect tenses (_Präsens_ and Perfekt) account for a huge proportion of actual German speech. The Perfekt is used for almost anything that happened in the past, and the Präsens is used for much of the future as well as the present. You still need to know the other four tenses, but they're not used as often as their English equivalents.
**_Konjunktiv I_**
**Konjunktiv II**
**Imperativ**
**Präsens**
Er tut es
_Er tue es_
Er würde es tun
Tu(e) es!
**Präteritum**
Er tat es
_Er habe es getan_
Er hätte es getan
**Perfekt**
Er hat es getan
**Plusquamperfekt**
Er hatte es getan
**Futur I**
Er wird es tun
_Er werde es tun_
**Futur II**
Er wird es getan haben
_Er werde es getan haben_
Be careful: **although most of the German tenses and moods look very much like their English counterparts, there are some big differences in how they're used.** In particular, the present and perfect tenses (_Präsens_ and Perfekt) account for a huge proportion of actual German speech. The Perfekt is used for almost anything that happened in the past, and the Präsens is used for much of the future as well as the present. You still need to know the other four tenses, but they’re not used as often as their English equivalents.
The moods are easier to describe, so let’s take them first:
The moods are easier to describe, so let's take them first:
* The **_Indikativ_/Indicative** mood is the most common in both languages, used for describing reality: things that have actually happened, are happening or are expected to happen.
* The **_Konjunktiv I_** serves to distance the writer from indirect or reported speech: according to his spokesman, he **knows** nothing about the scandal. There is no useful English equivalent, and it’s used almost exclusively in news reporting. It’s in italics in the table above because you don’t need to learn to use it actively unless you’re a journalist.
* The **_Konjunktiv II_** is similar to the **conditional** mood in English. It expresses hypothetical and/or conditional actions, and it usually uses a form of _werden_ in the same way that we use "would" ("I **would**n’t **do** that" --> _Ich **würde** das nicht **tun**_).
* The **_Imperativ_/Imperative** mood is used for commands ("Go away!"; "Clean your room!"). It’s the easiest mood to learn in either language, because it only exists in the present tense and the second person. In German (but not in English) the infinitive form of the verb can also be used as an imperative in some circumstances.
* The **_Konjunktiv I_** serves to distance the writer from indirect or reported speech: according to his spokesman, he **knows** nothing about the scandal. There is no useful English equivalent, and it's used almost exclusively in news reporting. It's in italics in the table above because you don't need to learn to use it actively unless you're a journalist.
* The **_Konjunktiv II_** is similar to the **conditional** mood in English. It expresses hypothetical and/or conditional actions, and it usually uses a form of _werden_ in the same way that we use "would" ("I **would**n't **do** that" --> _Ich **würde** das nicht **tun**_).
* The **_Imperativ_/Imperative** mood is used for commands ("Go away!"; "Clean your room!"). It's the easiest mood to learn in either language, because it only exists in the present tense and the second person. In German (but not in English) the infinitive form of the verb can also be used as an imperative in some circumstances.
Note: we said above that there’s no “useful” English equivalent to the _Konjunktiv I_. In fact, we do have sentences like “I suggest that you **be** careful” that are related in form, and many sources try to explain the German _Konjunktiv_ moods in terms of these English Subjunctive/Conjunctive moods. But these comparisons are often just wrong and always more confusing than they’re worth. The terms subjunctive/conjunctive occur in multiple languages but often refer to different things, and the forms they refer to in English are complex enough that they could be a whole section on their own. So we’re not even going to consider the English subjunctive here, and neither should you. Even the conditional/_Konjunktiv II_ comparison that we made above is not perfect. The _Konjunktiv_ moods are one of the few concepts that you really have to learn in German to fully get them.
Note: we said above that there's no "useful" English equivalent to the _Konjunktiv I_. In fact, we do have sentences like "I suggest that you **be** careful" that are related in form, and many sources try to explain the German _Konjunktiv_ moods in terms of these English Subjunctive/Conjunctive moods. But these comparisons are often just wrong and always more confusing than they're worth. The terms subjunctive/conjunctive occur in multiple languages but often refer to different things, and the forms they refer to in English are complex enough that they could be a whole section on their own. So we're not even going to consider the English subjunctive here, and neither should you. Even the conditional/_Konjunktiv II_ comparison that we made above is not perfect. The _Konjunktiv_ moods are one of the few concepts that you really have to learn in German to fully get them.
And now the tenses:
* The **_Präsens_** corresponds to the simple present tense in English ("**I take** the bus") as well as the “emphatic” ("**I do take** the bus"). It can also be used to refer to future events, in which case it’s called the _Futuristisches Präsens_ (“futuristic present”). We have a futuristic present in English too (e.g. "I get paid tomorrow" means "I **will** get paid tomorrow") but in German it’s more common. And like all German verb forms, the Präsens can also translate to the equivalent _continuous_ form in English, in this case "I **am taking** the bus." (See [V.15](/verbs/the-continuous-and-progressive-aspects.md "15. The Continuous/Progressive Aspects") for more on this.)
* The **_Präsens_** corresponds to the simple present tense in English ("**I take** the bus") as well as the "emphatic" ("**I do take** the bus"). It can also be used to refer to future events, in which case it's called the _Futuristisches Präsens_ ("futuristic present"). We have a futuristic present in English too (e.g. "I get paid tomorrow" means "I **will** get paid tomorrow") but in German it's more common. And like all German verb forms, the Präsens can also translate to the equivalent _continuous_ form in English, in this case "I **am taking** the bus." (See [V.15](/verbs/the-continuous-and-progressive-aspects.md "15. The Continuous/Progressive Aspects") for more on this.)
* The **_Präteritum_** and **Perfekt**, as you can probably guess from their names, are closely related to the English preterite and perfect tenses. As described in the verb types at the beginning of this section, the _Präteritum_ and English preterite are both formed with either a hard consonant ending (weak verbs), a vowel shift (strong verbs) or both (mixed verbs). The _Perfekt_ is formed by conjugating the verb haben (or sometimes sein) in the present tense and adding the participle of the main verb, just the way we do with the verb "to have" in English. Again, these tenses do not translate directly between the two languages, despite their similar forms. In English we mainly use the preterite, but in spoken German the _Perfekt_ dominates. We'll cover this in more detail in the [Perfect vs. Preterite](/verbs/perfect-vs-preterite.md "6. Perfect vs. Preterite") section.
* The **_Plusquamperfekt_** is directly related to the past perfect (also called the pluperfect) in English. It’s used for an action that was already completed at some point in the past. It’s formed the same way as the Perfekt, except that it uses the past (Präteritum) form of haben or sein instead of the present form.
* the **_Futur I_** tense is similar to our future tense; it uses _werden_ the same way we use "will" in English: "I **will read** it" --> _Ich **werde** es **lesen**_. But note that we have other ways of expressing the future in English (like I’m going to read it) that don’t exist in German – and they also use the futuristic present tense in ways that we wouldn’t. We’ll cover this in detail in the section on Future Tenses.
* The **_Plusquamperfekt_** is directly related to the past perfect (also called the pluperfect) in English. It's used for an action that was already completed at some point in the past. It's formed the same way as the Perfekt, except that it uses the past (Präteritum) form of haben or sein instead of the present form.
* the **_Futur I_** tense is similar to our future tense; it uses _werden_ the same way we use "will" in English: "I **will read** it" --> _Ich **werde** es **lesen**_. But note that we have other ways of expressing the future in English (like I'm going to read it) that don't exist in German – and they also use the futuristic present tense in ways that we wouldn't. We'll cover this in detail in the section on Future Tenses.
* the **_Futur II_** is similar to the English future perfect, with will + have in English and werden + haben/sein in German: "I **will have read** it" --> _Ich **werde** es **gelesen haben**_.
Finally, as in English, most of these tenses/moods also exist in a **passive** voice. Passive constructions in English usually (but not always) use a form of to be; in German they always use a form of the verb werden. This is the third major auxiliary usage of werden, after the _Konjunktiv II_ and Futur usages mentioned above. We’ll cover the passive voice in [V.10](/verbs/the-passive-voice.md "10. The Passive Voice").
Finally, as in English, most of these tenses/moods also exist in a **passive** voice. Passive constructions in English usually (but not always) use a form of to be; in German they always use a form of the verb werden. This is the third major auxiliary usage of werden, after the _Konjunktiv II_ and Futur usages mentioned above. We'll cover the passive voice in [V.10](/verbs/the-passive-voice.md "10. The Passive Voice").
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/present-and-simple-past.md)

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---
title: "The Continuous/Progressive Aspect - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Continuous/Progressive Aspect"
description: "Why German has no continuous/progressive aspect (no equivalent of 'I am reading') and how to express ongoing actions with gerade or am/beim + gerund."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/the-continuous-and-progressive-aspects"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Continuous/Progressive Aspect - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Continuous/Progressive Aspect
If you think there are too many verb forms in German, consider that Germans learning English have to deal with at least eight more:
Indicative
**English progressive/continuous forms**
Conditional
| Tense | Indicative | Conditional |
|---|---|---|
| **Present** | he is walking | he would be walking |
| **Past** | he was walking | he would have been walking |
| **Perfect** | he has been walking | |
| **Past perfect** | he had been walking | |
| **Future** | he will be walking | |
| **Future perfect** | he will have been walking | |
present
These are called the "continuous" or "progressive" aspects in English grammar,\* and they're difficult to learn, especially because they only work with certain verbs and in certain contexts. This is why non-native English speakers often make mistakes like _I am needing your help with this_ or _I was having to take a different route._
he is walking
Fortunately for you, these forms don't exist in German. Don't make the mistake of trying to translate them directly with the present participle; _Ich bin lesend_ for _I am reading_ is incorrect.\*\* Instead, you can just translate them with the equivalent non-continuous form, in this case the _Präsens_: _Ich lese_. This takes some getting used to, but usually it will be clear from the context when you're using the verb in the progressive sense.
he would be walking
However, when that's not specific enough, you have two other options:
past
1. Add the word **gerade** after the verb. **_Ich lese gerade_** is a more exact way to say _I'm reading_ than just _Ich lese_, which could also mean _I read, I do read,_ etc.
2. Use the contractions "am" (= an dem) or "beim" (= bei dem) and the gerund: _Ich bin **beim Lesen**_ or _Ich bin **am Lesen**._ This is even more idiomatic (literally _I'm at the reading_) but it means the same thing. It's more of an informal/spoken form than **gerade** and it used to be just a regional thing, so it will still sound wrong to some Germans, but it's becoming fairly widespread. Try to avoid it in writing, though.
he was walking
\*There's actually a slight difference between "continuous" and "progressive," but they're often used interchangeably and for our purposes they're exactly the same thing.
he would have been walking
perfect
he has been walking
past perfect
he had been walking
future
he will be walking
future perfect
he will have been walking
These are called the “continuous” or “progressive” aspects in English grammar,\* and they’re difficult to learn, especially because they only work with certain verbs and in certain contexts. This is why non-native English speakers often make mistakes like _I am needing your help with this_ or _I was having to take a different route._
Fortunately for you, these forms don’t exist in German. Don’t make the mistake of trying to translate them directly with the present participle; _Ich bin lesend_ for _I am reading_ is incorrect.\*\* Instead, you can just translate them with the equivalent non-continuous form, in this case the _Präsens_: _Ich lese_. This takes some getting used to, but usually it will be clear from the context when you’re using the verb in the progressive sense.
However, when that’s not specific enough, you have two other options:
1. Add the word **gerade** after the verb. **_Ich lese gerade_** is a more exact way to say _I’m reading_ than just _Ich lese_, which could also mean _I read, I do read,_ etc.
2. Use the contractions “am” (= an dem) or “beim” (= bei dem) and the gerund: _Ich bin **beim Lesen**_ or _Ich bin **am Lesen**._ This is even more idiomatic (literally _I’m at the reading_) but it means the same thing. It’s more of an informal/spoken form than **gerade** and it used to be just a regional thing, so it will still sound wrong to some Germans, but it’s becoming fairly widespread. Try to avoid it in writing, though.
\*There’s actually a slight difference between “continuous” and “progressive,” but they’re often used interchangeably and for our purposes they’re exactly the same thing.
\*\*In the section on the Passive, we mentioned that a few past participles are so common that you can use them as normal adjectives, avoiding the _werden_ form. Analagously, there are a few present participles that have also become adjectives, and these are exceptions to the rule above. Probably the most common example is _dringend_ (urgent), which comes from the verb _dringen_ (to force). A few others are _entscheidend_ (decisive), _spannend_ (exciting), and _auffallend_ (conspicuous). These are often used as adverbs too; as you’ll see in the last section, there’s less of an adverb/adjective distinction in German than in English.
\*\*In the section on the Passive, we mentioned that a few past participles are so common that you can use them as normal adjectives, avoiding the _werden_ form. Analagously, there are a few present participles that have also become adjectives, and these are exceptions to the rule above. Probably the most common example is _dringend_ (urgent), which comes from the verb _dringen_ (to force). A few others are _entscheidend_ (decisive), _spannend_ (exciting), and _auffallend_ (conspicuous). These are often used as adverbs too; as you'll see in the last section, there's less of an adverb/adjective distinction in German than in English.
[Continue to next section >>](/prepositions/introduction-to-prepositions.md)

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verbs/the-imperative-mood.md
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---
title: "The Imperative Mood - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Imperative Mood"
description: "Forming German commands in the du, ihr, and Sie forms — including the irregular verb sein, the infinitive imperative, and the 'Let's...' construction."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/the-imperative-mood"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Imperative Mood - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Imperative Mood
The imperative mood is used for commands and instructions. It can only occur in the second person, so we just need to learn three main forms: _du_ (informal singular), _ihr_ (informal plural), and _Sie_ (formal singular & plural). The _du_ form is just the present tense _du_ form without the _st_ ending:
geben to give
| Infinitive | → du form | → Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| geben (to give) | du gibst | **Gib** mir das! (**Give** me that!) |
| nehmen (to take) | du nimmst | **Nimm** die Schlüssel mit. (**Take** the keys with you.) |
\-->
The _ihr_ form is identical to the present tense.
du gibst 2nd person singular
\-->
**Gib** mir das! **Give** me that!
nehmen to take
\-->
du nimmst 2nd person singular
\-->
**Nimm** die Schlüssel mit. **Take** the keys with you.
The _ihr_ form is identical to the present tense:
\[examples\]
Finally, the _Sie_ form is also the same as the present tense, but the _Sie_ is included after the verb. There can be a slight tension between the respectful tone of _Sie_ and the fact that you’re giving an order, so this is often softened with _bitte_ (please) – and in practice it’s used mainly for polite requests, not outright commands.
Finally, the _Sie_ form is also the same as the present tense, but the _Sie_ is included after the verb. There can be a slight tension between the respectful tone of _Sie_ and the fact that you're giving an order, so this is often softened with _bitte_ (please) – and in practice it's used mainly for polite requests, not outright commands.
_**Nehmen Sie bitte** eine Broschüre._ Please take a brochure.
The verb sein is irregular in the imperative, based on the infinitive instead of the conjugated stems:
"du" form: **Sei** still! Be quiet!
"ihr" form: **Seid** brav, Kinder. Be good, kids.
"Sie" form: **Seien Sie** bitte geduldig... Please be patient...
| Form | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| "du" form | **Sei** still! | Be quiet! |
| "ihr" form | **Seid** brav, Kinder. | Be good, kids. |
| "Sie" form | **Seien Sie** bitte geduldig... | Please be patient... |
That's it for the conjugated imperative forms, but there are two related forms you should be aware of. The first is the "infinitive imperative," which is common in posted rules and regulations. When it's used in speech, it usually has a sharper "drill sergeant" tone than the forms above. You probably won't use the infinitive this way yourself, but you should be able to recognize it. Unlike "true" imperative statements where the verb comes at the beginning (as in all the examples above), when you use the infinitive this way it comes at the end:

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verbs/the-konjunktiv-moods.md
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---
title: "The Konjunktiv Moods - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Konjunktiv Moods"
description: "German Konjunktiv I (reported speech) and Konjunktiv II (conditional/subjunctive) — endings, formation, and the full conjugation table for auxiliary and modal verbs."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/the-konjunktiv-moods"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Konjunktiv Moods - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Konjunktiv Moods
Again: the _Konjunktiv I_ mood is fairly uncommon and you shouldn’t spend too much time on it. At most, it can be mildly helpful to recognize it when reading the newspaper. It's used for reported speech (without quotation marks) in a relatively formal setting: _According to a witness, the robbers **escaped** in a blue van._ It’s rarely used in informal settings; in a sentence like _My sister says her friends **will meet** us at the restaurant at 8_, you just use the ordinary (indicative) present or future tense.
Again: the _Konjunktiv I_ mood is fairly uncommon and you shouldn't spend too much time on it. At most, it can be mildly helpful to recognize it when reading the newspaper. It's used for reported speech (without quotation marks) in a relatively formal setting: _According to a witness, the robbers **escaped** in a blue van._ It's rarely used in informal settings; in a sentence like _My sister says her friends **will meet** us at the restaurant at 8_, you just use the ordinary (indicative) present or future tense.
The endings for the present _Konjunktiv I_ are like those of the strong verb present tense (V.3) with a few extra Es, and with _no stem changes_: even a strong, mixed or modal verb just takes the normal infinitive stem. _Sein_ is the only irregular verb in the _Konjunktiv I_ (see below).
Past tense statements are formed like the _Perfekt_, only with _haben/sein_ in the _Konjunktiv I_ instead of the normal present tense. Likewise, the future tenses are formed with _werden_ in the _Konjunktiv I_.
**Konjunktiv I**
**Konjunktiv I** (using _kaufen_ as example, plus auxiliary verbs)
**haben**
| | Person | kaufen (KI) | haben | sein | werden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **singular** | 1st (ich) | kaufe | habe | sei | werde |
| | 2nd (du) | kauf**e**st | hab**e**st | seist | werd**e**st |
| | 3rd (er/sie/es) | kauf**e** | hab**e** | sei | werd**e** |
| **plural** | 1st (wir) | kaufen | haben | seien | werden |
| | 2nd (ihr) | kauf**e**t | hab**e**t | seit | werd**e**t |
| | 3rd (sie/Sie) | kaufen | haben | seien | werden |
**sein**
You may have noticed that some of the above forms are identical to the normal (indicative) present tense – _ich kaufe_, for example. In these cases it's common to use the _Konjunktiv II_ forms instead (coming up next) to avoid confusion.
**werden**
In practice, the _Konjunktiv I_ is mostly used in the third person. You are most likely to notice it in a news article in the form of _sei_ where you'd expect _ist_, or _habe_ where you'd expect _hat._
singular
1st person
ich
kaufe
_I buy_
habe
sei
werde
2nd person
du
kauf**e**st
_you buy_
hab**e**st
seist
werd**e**st
3rd person
er/sie/es
kauf**e**
_he/she/it buys_
hab**e**
sei
werd**e**
plural
1st person
wir
kaufen
_we buy_
haben
seien
werden
2nd person
ihr
kauf**e**t
_you (pl) buy_
hab**e**t
seit
werd**e**t
3rd person
sie/Sie
kaufen
_they buy_
haben
seien
werden
 
You may have noticed that some of the above forms are identical to the normal (indicative) present tense – _ich kaufe_, for example. In these cases it’s common to use the _Konjunktiv II_ forms instead (coming up next) to avoid confusion.
In practice, the _Konjunktiv I_ is mostly used in the third person. You are most likely to notice it in a news article in the form of _sei_ where you’d expect _ist_, or _habe_ where you’d expect _hat._
The **Konjunktiv II** mood is much more common than the _Konjunktiv I_. It’s used to express wishes, desires, speculation, conditionality, and other “unreal” conditions, and it usually translates in English with words like _were_, _would_, or _could_:
The **Konjunktiv II** mood is much more common than the _Konjunktiv I_. It's used to express wishes, desires, speculation, conditionality, and other "unreal" conditions, and it usually translates in English with words like _were_, _would_, or _could_:
_If I **were** rich, I **would** buy it._ Wenn ich reich **wäre**, **würde** ich es kaufen.
There are three ways to form the _Konjunktiv II_:
1. For weak verbs, it’s the same as the (indicative) _Präteritum_ (given in V.3)
2. For non-weak verbs (aux., modal, mixed, strong), it’s the simple past stem with an added umlaut and those same –e endings from the _Konjunktiv I_ (above)
1. For weak verbs, it's the same as the (indicative) _Präteritum_ (given in V.3)
2. For non-weak verbs (aux., modal, mixed, strong), it's the simple past stem with an added umlaut and those same –e endings from the _Konjunktiv I_ (above)
3. BUT for certain strong verbs, the vowel in that past stem is conventionally replaced with a _ü_; for example, the KII of "helfen" is not _hälfen_ from the past stem _half_, but rather _hülfen_
Sounds like a nightmare to learn, right? But you probably don't have to. Because in practice, the _only_ verbs that are always conjugated in the _Konjunktiv II_ are the modal and auxiliary verbs. Once you’ve learned their subjunctive forms, you can just use those forms with the infinitives or participles of other verbs. Notice that _sollen_ and _wollen_ are the only exceptions to rule #2 above, in that they don’t get the umlaut:
Sounds like a nightmare to learn, right? But you probably don't have to. Because in practice, the _only_ verbs that are always conjugated in the _Konjunktiv II_ are the modal and auxiliary verbs. Once you've learned their subjunctive forms, you can just use those forms with the infinitives or participles of other verbs. Notice that _sollen_ and _wollen_ are the only exceptions to rule #2 above, in that they don't get the umlaut:
 
**Konjunktiv II** — auxiliary and modal verbs
**sein**
| Person | sein | haben | werden | dürfen | können | mögen | müssen | sollen | wollen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | w**ä**re | h**ä**tte | w**ü**rde | dürfte | könnte | möchte | müsste | sollte | wollte |
| du | w**ä**rest | h**ä**ttest | w**ü**rdest | dürftest | könntest | möchtest | müsstest | solltest | wolltest |
| er/sie/es | w**ä**re | h**ä**tte | w**ü**rde | dürfte | könnte | möchte | müsste | sollte | wollte |
| wir | w**ä**ren | h**ä**tten | w**ü**rden | dürften | könnten | möchten | müssten | sollten | wollten |
| ihr | w**ä**ret | h**ä**ttet | w**ü**rdet | dürftet | könntet | möchtet | müsstet | solltet | wolltet |
| sie/Sie | w**ä**ren | h**ä**tten | w**ü**rden | dürften | könnten | möchten | müssten | sollten | wollten |
**haben**
The main one you'll use is _werden_, which works like _would_ in English:
**werden**
**dürfen**
**können**
**mögen**
**müssen**
**sollen**
**wollen**
ich
w**ä**re
h**ä**tte
w**ü**rde
dürfte
könnte
möchte
müsste
sollte
wollte
du
w**ä**rest
h**ä**ttest
w**ü**rdest
dürftest
könntest
möchtest
müsstest
solltest
wolltest
er/sie/es
w**ä**re
h**ä**tte
w**ü**rde
dürfte
könnte
möchte
müsste
sollte
wollte
wir
w**ä**ren
h**ä**tten
w**ü**rden
dürften
könnten
möchten
müssten
sollten
wollten
ihr
w**ä**ret
h**ä**ttet
w**ü**rdet
dürftet
könntet
möchtet
müsstet
solltet
wolltet
sie/Sie
w**ä**ren
h**ä**tten
w**ü**rden
dürften
könnten
möchten
müssten
sollten
wollten
The main one you’ll use is _werden_, which works like _would_ in English:
**_Would_** _you **help** me with this?_
**_Would_** _you **help** me with this?_
**Würdest** du mir damit **helfen**?
There are a few strong verbs that are occasionally used in the _Konjunktiv II_, but as a foreign speaker, you _really_ don’t need to worry about them: just use the _werden_ form for everything except the nine verbs in the table above.
There are a few strong verbs that are occasionally used in the _Konjunktiv II_, but as a foreign speaker, you _really_ don't need to worry about them: just use the _werden_ form for everything except the nine verbs in the table above.
One of the most common forms in that table is _möchten_ (would like), from _mögen_ (to like); it’s used for ordering in restaurants (_Ich möchte einen Kaffee_) and other polite requests, as well as more general wishes and desires. In fact it’s so common that it’s often introduced, confusingly, as a seventh modal verb independent from _mögen_. If you’ve learned it that way, then now you know the truth.
One of the most common forms in that table is _möchten_ (would like), from _mögen_ (to like); it's used for ordering in restaurants (_Ich möchte einen Kaffee_) and other polite requests, as well as more general wishes and desires. In fact it's so common that it's often introduced, confusingly, as a seventh modal verb independent from _mögen_. If you've learned it that way, then now you know the truth.
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/the-imperative-mood.md)

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verbs/the-passive-voice.md
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---
title: "The Passive Voice - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "The Passive Voice"
description: "How to form all eight passive tenses in German using werden and sein — present, simple past, perfect, pluperfect, future, future perfect, and two conditional forms."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/the-passive-voice"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# The Passive Voice - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# The Passive Voice
The passive in German always involves at least one form of the verb _werden_, and sometimes also a form of _sein_. There are no conjugation tables in this section because we’ll only be using forms of _werden_ and _sein_ that we’ve already covered; learning the passive is not a matter of learning new endings, it’s about understanding the structure and word order of a passive clause. To highlight this, we’ll use the same sentence in all eight forms.
The passive in German always involves at least one form of the verb _werden_, and sometimes also a form of _sein_. There are no conjugation tables in this section because we'll only be using forms of _werden_ and _sein_ that we've already covered; learning the passive is not a matter of learning new endings, it's about understanding the structure and word order of a passive clause. To highlight this, we'll use the same sentence in all eight forms.
The present and simple past use the present and past conjugations of _werden_, respectively:
Die Wohnung **wird** **durchsucht**.
The apartment **is** \[being\] **searched**.
| Tense | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| **Präsens** | Die Wohnung **wird** **durchsucht**. | The apartment **is** \[being\] **searched**. |
| **Präteritum** | Die Wohnung **wurde durchsucht**. | The apartment **was searched**. |
| **Perfekt** | Die Wohnung **ist durchsucht worden**. | The apartment **was searched**. |
| **Plusquamperfekt** | Die Wohnung **war durchsucht worden**. | The apartment **had been searched**. |
| **Futur I** | Die Wohnung **wird durchsucht werden**. | The apartment **will be searched**. |
| **Futur II** | Die Wohnung **wird durchsucht worden sein**. | The apartment **will have been searched**. |
| **Konjunktiv II (present)** | Die Wohnung **würde durchsucht werden**. | The apartment **would be searched**. |
| **Konjunktiv II (past)** | Die Wohnung **wäre durchsucht worden**. | The apartment **would have been searched**. |
Die Wohnung **wurde durchsucht**.
The apartment **was searched**.
The Perfect tenses use sein with the participle and worden (a short form of werden's participle geworden). Remember that the Perfekt translates the same as the Präteritum form above.
The Perfect tenses use sein with the participle and worden (a short form of werden’s participle geworden). Remember that the Perfekt translates the same as the Präteritum form above:
The future tense uses werden in the present tense, then the participle and another werden in the infinitive. The future perfect adds _sein_.
Die Wohnung **ist durchsucht worden**.
The apartment **was searched**.
Finally, the conditional forms of the passive use either the Konjunktiv I form of werden or the Konjunktiv II form of sein.
Die Wohnung **war durchsucht worden**.
The apartment **had been searched**.
A few descriptive past participles are so common that they've essentially become adjectives, and you can use them without invoking the passive voice at all:
The future tense uses werden in the present tense, then the participle and another werden in the infinitive. The future perfect adds _sein_:
Ich **bin** \[not werde\] beeindruckt!
I'm impressed!
Die Wohnung **wird durchsucht werden**.
The apartment **will be searched.**
Die Wohnung **wird durchsucht worden sein.**
The apartment **will have been searched.**
Finally, the conditional forms of the passive use either the Konjunktiv I form of werden or the Konjunktiv II form of sein, as follows:
Die Wohnung **würde durchsucht werden**.
The apartment **would be searched.**
Die Wohnung **wäre durchsucht worden**.
The apartment **would have been searched.**
A few descriptive past participles are so common that they’ve essentially become adjectives, and you can use them without invoking the passive voice at all:
Ich **bin** \[not werde\] beeindruckt!
I’m impressed!
Er **ist** \[not wird\] geschieden.
Er **ist** \[not wird\] geschieden.
He's divorced.
[Continue to next section >>](/verbs/prefix-verbs.md)

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---
title: "Overview of Verb Types - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers"
title: "Overview of Verb Types"
description: "The five categories of German verbs — auxiliary, modal, mixed, strong, and weak — with examples and their English parallels."
source: "https://germanforenglishspeakers.com/verbs/verb-types"
crawled: "2026-06-30"
---
# Overview of Verb Types - German for English SpeakersGerman for English Speakers
# Overview of Verb Types
German verbs always end in _–n_ in their infinitive form, usually _–en_:
_kaufen_
_kaufen_
to buy
_arbeiten_
_arbeiten_
to work
_helfen_
_helfen_
to help
_fliegen_
_fliegen_
to fly
When introducing verbs, most textbooks and classes jump right into conjugation (I work, you work, he works…) but let’s take a few minutes first to understand the big picture. German root verbs can be broken into five categories:
When introducing verbs, most textbooks and classes jump right into conjugation (I work, you work, he works…) but let's take a few minutes first to understand the big picture. German root verbs can be broken into five categories:
**Auxiliary**
(3)
| Category | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| **Auxiliary** | 3 | _sein_ (to be), _haben_ (to have), _werden_ (will/would) |
| **Modal** | 6 | _dürfen_ (may), _können_ (can), _mögen_ (to like), _müssen_ (must), _sollen_ (should), _wollen_ (to want to) |
| **Mixed** | 9 | _brennen_ (burn), _bringen_ (bring), _denken_ (think), _kennen_ (know a person), _nennen_ (name), _rennen_ (run), _senden_ (send), _wenden_ (turn), _wissen_ (know information) |
| **Strong** | ~150 | _tun_ (do), _kommen_ (come), _gehen_ (go), _stehen_ (stand), _schlafen_ (sleep), _schreiben_ (write), _sehen_ (see), _essen_ (eat)… |
| **Weak** | thousands | _kaufen_ (buy), _machen_ (make), _träumen_ (dream), _nutzen_ (use), _danken_ (thank), _sagen_ (say), _malen_ (paint), _bauen_ (build)… |
**Modal**
(6)
All five of these categories have close parallels in English. Here's what they mean:
**Mixed**
(9)
**Strong**
(about 150)
**Weak**
(thousands)
_sein_
to be
_haben_
to have
_werden_
will/would
_dürfen_
may
(to be allowed to)
_können_
can
(to be able to)
_mögen_
to like (to)
_müssen_
must
_sollen_
should
_wollen_
to want to
_brennen_
to burn
_bringen_
to bring
_denken_
to think
_kennen_
to know
(a person)
_nennen_
to name
_rennen_
to run
_senden_
to send
_wenden_
to turn
_wissen_
to know
(information)
_tun_ - to do
_kommen_ - to come
_gehen_ - to go
_stehen_ - to stand
_schlafen_ - to sleep
_schreiben_ - to write
_sehen_ - to see
_essen_ - to eat
…etc.
_kaufen_ - to buy
_machen_ - to make
_träumen_ - to dream
_nutzen_ - to use
_danken_ - to thank
_sagen_ - to say, tell
_malen_ - to paint
_bauen_ - to build
…etc.
All five of these categories have close parallels in English. Here’s what they mean:
* **Auxiliary (“helping”) verbs** are used with other verbs to form compound tenses, like the future tense in English (_I **will** **find** it_) and German (_Ich **werde** es **finden**_)
* **Modal verbs** are used with other verbs to indicate their _modality_, which means the desire, ability, permission or obligation to do them: _“You **must listen** to me!”_ (“Du **musst** mir **zuhören!**”)
* **Auxiliary ("helping") verbs** are used with other verbs to form compound tenses, like the future tense in English (_I **will** **find** it_) and German (_Ich **werde** es **finden**_)
* **Modal verbs** are used with other verbs to indicate their _modality_, which means the desire, ability, permission or obligation to do them: _"You **must listen** to me!"_ ("Du **musst** mir **zuhören!**")
* **Strong verbs** form the past (preterite) tense with a vowel shift, like "swim / **swam**" in English (_schwimmen / **schwammen**_ in German). Strong verbs in German have an irregular _participle_ form that ends in –n, which is also true of many strong verbs in English (I choose, I chose, I have **chosen**). But more on all that later.
* **Weak verbs** form the past tense with a hard consonant added at the end, _t_ in German and _d_ (or sometimes _t_) in English. _Learn_ is a weak verb in both English (_I learn, I learn**ed** \[US\]_ or _learn**t** \[UK\]_) and German _(ich lerne, ich lern**t**e_)
* **Mixed verbs** get their name because they form the past tense with _both_ a vowel shift and a hard consonant sound at the end. _Bring_ is a mixed verb in both English (w_e bring/we br**ought**_) and German (_wir bringen/wir br**acht**en_)
If you’re familiar with the concept of regular and irregular verbs in English or another language, you can think of the weak / strong distinction in German as more or less the same thing. Weak verbs in German are all regular, which means that once you know the infinitive you can form any other conjugation in standard ways. For the other four types, you have to memorize a few other forms when you learn the verb.
If you're familiar with the concept of regular and irregular verbs in English or another language, you can think of the weak / strong distinction in German as more or less the same thing. Weak verbs in German are all regular, which means that once you know the infinitive you can form any other conjugation in standard ways. For the other four types, you have to memorize a few other forms when you learn the verb.
We said above that there are thousands of weak verbs, which is technically true, but don't let it scare you: there are at most a few hundred that you really need to know. After that, the vast majority of German verbs in common usage are:
@@ -149,7 +47,7 @@ We said above that there are thousands of weak verbs, which is technically true,
* obvious derivations of a non-verb -- for example, if you know that _mehr_ means "more," it'll be clear in context that _mehren_ is "to increase."
* obvious Germanizations of foreign verbs, including the -ieren verbs (covered in [V.4](/verbs/past-participles.md "V.4 Past Participles")) and many modern tech-related terms like "adden" (on a social network)
In both German and English, there’s a tendency for strong and mixed verbs to become weak over time, i.e. for people to start treating them as regular verbs. At any given point, there are certain verbs that are still completely strong (you can’t say "I falled" rather than "I fell"), certain verbs where the strong form is almost gone (to say "children clad in rags" rather than "clothed in rags" would sound a little pretentious in modern English), and some where it's been gone so long that few people today have even heard it, though it often still counts in Scrabble (like "holp" for "helped"). A few are somewhere in between: for example, "dived" and "dove" both sound OK to most people today, but in a few decades "dived" may have completely taken over.
In both German and English, there's a tendency for strong and mixed verbs to become weak over time, i.e. for people to start treating them as regular verbs. At any given point, there are certain verbs that are still completely strong (you can't say "I falled" rather than "I fell"), certain verbs where the strong form is almost gone (to say "children clad in rags" rather than "clothed in rags" would sound a little pretentious in modern English), and some where it's been gone so long that few people today have even heard it, though it often still counts in Scrabble (like "holp" for "helped"). A few are somewhere in between: for example, "dived" and "dove" both sound OK to most people today, but in a few decades "dived" may have completely taken over.
In any event, some sources don't do enough to distinguish the strong forms that are mandatory from those that sound old-fashioned or silly. In our [list of strong verbs](/reference/strong-verbs.md "Strong Verbs") we try to make the distinctions a little more clear.