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VERB DEFINITIONS
And Basic Conjugations

Introduction

There are four types of verb in German: Hilfsverben (auxiliary verbs - in English be and have), Modalverben (English modal auxiliary verbs: can, may, must, ought), regelmäßige Verben (regular verbs), and unregelmäßige Verben (irregular verbs).

Aktiv and Passiv are two prinicpal verb forms. Aktiv: Er lobt; Passiv: er wird gelobt (he commends; he is being commended). These two forms are possible only with transitive verbs, i.e. directed verbs, whereas intransitive verbs allow only active use. Use of the terms transitive and intransitive has thus become infrequent in German. In modern German grammar, one rather distiguishes between the active form and passive form of a verb. The passive form is constructed only with the auxiliary verbs werden, or sein.

German grammars used to distinguish between schwache Verben (weak verbs) and starke Verben (strong verbs). This concept is inadequate and obsolete. There are now regelmäßige Verben and unregelmäßige Verben. The Wortstamm (the word stem) is constant in the regular verb and changes in the irregular verb, when conjugated. Example of a verb in its basic form, which is the Infinitiv (infinitive):

All verbs get inflected in Person (1., 2., and 3. - i.e. through the persons I, you, he/she/it); Numerus (i.e. Singular, Plural); Modus (i.e. Indikativ, Konjunktiv I, Konjunktiv II); Tempus (i.e. Präsens, Präterium, Futur I, Futur II, Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt); and, Genus (i.e. Aktiv, Passiv).

Whereas inflection tables for all forms of the regular verbs (reguläre Verben) are shown in Konjugationsregeln, it is the objectiv of this Section to discuss the rules and patterns of those basic inflection forms from which all others are formed by simple rules. We cover both, regelmäßige and unregelmäßige Verben. The basic forms of inflection are Indikativ Präsens, Indikativ Präterit, and Konjunktiv I Präsens. That is through the three persons and two numbers.

The first pair of tables is for regelmäßige Verben, and the second pair for unregelmäßige Verben. At the end of the Section on unregelmäßige Verben follows a list of frequently used unregelmäßige Verben, followed byspecialized discussion of Ablaut sequences.


Regelmäßige Verben

Comparison: Standard Versus Special Stems, Versus Special Endings

aktiv Indikativ Präsens , and
aktiv Konjunktiv I Präsens
  Normaler
Wortstamm
stem ends with
ß, x, or z
Infinitiv-Endung
eln ern ien
Infinitiv sagen grüßen klingeln ändern knien
ich sage
sage
grüße
grüße
klingle
klingle
ändere
ändere
knie
knie
du sag[e]st
sagest
grüßt
grüßest
klingelst
klinglest
änderst
ändrest
kniest
kniest
er/sie/es sag[e]t
sage
grüßt
grüße
klingelt
klingle
ändert
ändre
kniet
knie
wir sagen
sagen
grüßen
grüßen
klingeln
klingeln
ändern
ändern
knien
knien
ihr sag[e]t
saget
grüßt
grüßet
klingelt
klinglet
ändert
ändret
kniet
kniet
sie/Sie sagen
sagen
grüßen
grüßen
klingeln
klingeln
ändern
ändern
knien
knien
[e]=e-Erweiterung (e-augmentation) see comment below!

aktiv Indikativ Präterium (Past Tense)
  Normaler
Wortstamm
stem ends with
ß, x, or z
Infinitiv-Endung
eln ern ien
ich sag[e]te grüßte klingelte änderte kniete
du sag[e]test grüßtest klingeltest änd ertest knietest
er/sie/es sag[e]te grüßte klingelte änderte kniete
wir sag[e]ten grüßten klingelten änderten knieten
ihr sag[e]tet grüßtet klingeltet ändertet knietet
sie/Sie sag[e]ten grüßten klingeten änderten knieten
[e]=e-Erweiterung (e-augmentation) see comment below!
These being regelmäßige Verben, the Präterium forms of Indikativ and Konjunktiv II are identical

Comment on e-Erweiterung
Certain regular verbs have an
e inserted between word stem and ending, in the inflection forms so indicated in the tables. The rule is simple. People don't snap their tongue in pronouncing German. So, insert an e between word stem and ending when it mitigates the pronounciation.

Following are the details, usually unimportant.

The verbs subject to e-Erweiterung are all those whose word stem

All consonants, with the exception of l, r, w, or x are either fricatives or explosives.

Examples:
günden: du gründ
est; reden: er redet; atmen: ihr atmet; rechnen: wir rechneten; wappnen: du wappnest.


Unregelmäßige Verben

There are 173 irregular verbs. Similarly as in English, it is the ablaut forms that distinguishes them from the regular verbs. Whereas the verb endings are inflected almost identically as those in the regular verbs, it is the word stem, as well, that gets to be modified in the irregular verbs. In most verbs, only the principal vowel is affected.

In principle, five different word stems are formed by ablaut gradation, one for each of the five inflection classes of the German language.

  1. All but two forms of Präsens Indikativ and Konjunktiv I; Imperativ; 1.Partizip; and Infinitiv.
  2. The remaining two forms of Präsens Indikativ, i.e. 2. and 3.Person Singular.
  3. All Präterit Indikativ forms.
  4. All Präterit Konjunktiv II forms.
  5. 2.Partizip (i.e. past participle).

These five classes can be reduced, as follows.

In summary, one requires only three to four of the above classes. That is 1, (2), 3, and 5, where the stem of Class (2), is listed in the dictionnaries, where applicable. Similarly so in our list farther below. Customarily, dictionnaries include in their word listing the irregular forms, whichever they are, among the five stem classes of irregular verbs.

aktiv Indikativ Präsens
Comparison of Regular Verb with Irregular Verb
  regelmäßiges
Verb
einige unregelmäßige
Verben
Infinitiv sagen leiden raten gehen heißen stoßen
ich sage leide rate gehe heiße stoße
du sagst leidest ratest gehst heißt stößt
er/sie/es sagt leidet ratet geht heißt stößt
wir sagen leiden raten gehen heißen stoßen
ihr sagt leidet ratet geht heißt stoßt
sie/Sie sagen leiden raten gehen heißen stoßen

aktiv Indikativ Präterium and Konjunktiv II Präterium
  regelmäßiges
Verb
einige unregelmäßige
Verben
ich sagte litte riete ginge hieße stieße
du sagtest littest rietest gingest hießest stießest
er/sie/es sagte litte riete ginge hieße stieße
wir sagten litten rieten gingen hießen stießen
ihr sagtet littet rietet ginget hießet stießet
sie/Sie sagten litten rieten gingen hießen stießen

List of Frequently Used unregelmäßige Verben


Of almost 2/3 of all irregular verbs, we list here the three principal word stems. That is the classes 1,   2 where it exists,  and 3. Stem class 4 is not shown for being mostly redundant in modern German. Stem class 5 is not needed here in the Konjunktiv II topic. Consult your dictionary for the stem class 5, which is the 2.Partizip (i.e. Partizip Perfekt or past participle).

Where the ablaut of 2. and 3.Person differs (see Class 2), the graded ablaut is shown in parantheses following the stem's main vowel. The Präterit form is always shown in parantheses. Verbs whose word stem differs in Konjunktiv II (see Class 4) are underlined, and should be used in würde form instead of the Konjunktiv II Präterit. Almost all irregular verbs have thus been underlined. Their use in Konjunktiv II Präterit is preferred no longer.

backen (backte); befe(ie)hlen (befahl); beginnen (begann); beißen (biß); be(i)rgen (barg); bewegen (bewog); biegen (bog); bieten (bot); binden (band); bitten (bat); bla(ä)sen (blies); bleiben (blieb); bleichen (blich); bra(ä)ten (briet); bre(i)chen (brach); brennen (brannte); bringen (brachte);

denken (dachte); dringen (drang); dü(a)rfen (durfte); empfa(ä)ngen (empfing); fa(ä)llen (fiel); finden (fand); ge(i)ben (gab); gehen (ging); gleichen (glich);

ha(ä)lten (hielt); heißen (hieß); kennen (kannte); kommen (kam);

la(ä)ssen (ließ); la(ä)ufen (lief); leiden (litt); le(ie)sen (las); liegen (lag); lö(i)schen (losch); lügen (log); meiden (mied); me(i)lken (molk); me(i)ssen (maß); mö(a)gen (mochte); müssen (mußte);

neh(i)men (nahm); nennen (nannte); ra(ä)ten (riet); rennen (rannte); riechen (roch);

sa(ä)ufen (soff); saugen (sog); schaffen (schuf); schallen (schallte); scheiden (schied); scheinen (schien); schieben (schob); schießen (schoß); schla(ä)fen (schlief); schla(ä)gen (schlug); schleifen (schliff); schließen (schloß); schme(i)lzen (schmolz); schneiden (schnitt); schreiben (schrieb); schreiten (schritt); schweigen (schwieg); schwimmen (schwamm); schwinden (schwand); schwören (schwur); se(ie)hen (sah); senden (sandte); sieden (sott); singen (sang); sinken (sank); sinnen (sann); sitzen (saß); spalten (spaltete); spre(i)chen (sprach); springen (sprang); ste(i)chen (stach); stecken (stak); stehen (stand); ste(ie)hlen (stahl); steigen (stieg); sterben (starb); stinken (stank); sto(ö)ßen (stieß); streichen (strich); streiten (stritt);

tra(ä)gen (trug); tre(i)ffen (traf); treiben (trieb); treten (trat); tringen (trank); tun (tat);

verde(i)rben (verdarb); verge(i)ssen (vergaß); verlieren (verlor);

wa(ä)chsen (wuchs); wägen (wog); wa(ä)schen (wusch); weben (wob); weichen (wich); wenden (wandte); we(i)rben (warb); we(i)rfen (warf); wiegen (wog); winden (wand); winken (winkte); wi(ei)ssen (wußte);

ziehen (zog); zwingen (zwang).


Ablautreihen (Ablaut Sequences)

This discussion should be instructive for the serious student. For learning the language, it is not necessary and may be skipped.

An example of an ablaut sequence in English is ring, rang, rung. All 173 irregular verbs follow an ablaut sequence. The applicable sequence is a specific one for the particular stem master vowel. Some long vowels follow a sequence different from that of the corresponding short-vowel sequence. The long vowels are shown underlined in the following table. They may be spelled ah, eh, ie, ih, oh, or uh. The size of the ablaut classes is listed in the column Anzahl der Verben, which is the number of verbs in that sequence. Only the ablaut sequences with at least four member verbs are listed, which cover 3/4 of all irregular verbs.

In addition to an ablaut sequence, some of the irregular verbs change the last consonant of the word stem, which is called Konsonantenwechsel. More precisely, it is the consonant immediately following the stem master vowel that changes. In most cases the Konsonantenwechsel follows a pattern. These are the following, where the change is indicated by an arrow (-->). The examples show the sequence Infinitiv - Präterium - 2.Partizip (past participle).

As regards bringen - brachte - gebracht, and denken - dachte - gedacht, these are conjugated as regelmäßige Verben, except for their unique ablaut sequence and consonant change.

Ablautreihen
Sequence
number
Ablaut-
reihe
Verb example
Präs. - Prät. - Partizip II
Konsonanten-
wechsel (a)
Anz. Verben One English translation
1. ei - i - i leide - litt - gelitten d --> tt 23 suffer - suffered - suffered
2. i - a - u binde - band - gebunden ------ 19 bind - bound - bound
3. ei - i - i bleibe - blieb - geblieben ------ 16 remain - remained - remained
4. i - o - o biege - bog - gebogen ------ 11 bend - bent - bent
5. i - o - o fließe - floß - gefloss en ------ 11 flow - flowed - flown
6. e - a - o berge - barg - geborgen ------ 9 recover - recovered - recovered
7. e - o - o dresche - drosch - gedroschen ------ 7 thrash - thrashed - thrashed
8. i - a - o spinne - spann - gesponnen ------ 6 spin - spun - spun
9. a - u - a fahre - fuhr - gefahren ------ 6 drive - drove - driven
10. e - a - e gebe - gab - gegeben ------ 6 give - gave - given
11. e - a - o spreche - sprach - gesprochen ------ 5 speak - spoke - spoken
12. e - a - e messe - maß - gemessen ------ 5 measure - measured - measured
13. e - o - o hebe - hob - gehoben ------ 5 lift - lifted - lifted
14. a - u - a schaffe - schuf - geschaffen ------ 4 create - created - created
15. a - i - a blase - blies - geblasen ------ 4 to blow, to sound, to play
16. a - i - a falle - fiel - gefallen ------ 3 fall - fell - fallen
17. e - i - a gehen - ging - gegangen h --> ng 1 go, went, gone
18. e - a - a stehen - stand - gestanden h --> nd 1 stand, stood, stood
(a) Konsonantenwechsel shown only as it occurs in the example



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Created: 13.04.98
Last modified: 13.04.98
Author: H.Vogel email: hvogel@travlang.com
Site maintained by: H.Vogel

Copyright (c)H.Vogel at The Travlang Company, 1998.


URL: http://www.travlang.com/latinvision/german/ihgg/verbdef.html


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