Key points about the present tense in German
The present tense is used to describe actions happening right now or events that occur regularly.
It can also be used to refer to the near future.
In German, verbs are divided into two groups: regular (weak) verbs and irregular (strong) verbs.
Different verb endings are required depending on the A subject pronoun is the person or thing doing the action..
How to form the present tense for weak (regular) verbs
To form (conjugate) the present tense:
Step 1 - Start with an The part of the verb found in the dictionary. It is the basic form of a verb without a subject and the equivalent of English ‘to’ verbs. The infinitive usually ends in -en, -n, -ern, -eln in German (eg spielen – to play). verb.
Step 2 – Take the -en off the infinitive. This leaves the of the verb.
Step 3 – Decide which ending you need according to who’s doing the action (the subject), eg ich, du, wir, Sie etc.
Step 4 – Add the correct Used to talk about what is happening now, something which is always done or something ongoing. ending to the stem.
Video: Using the present tense
When you’re talking about something you do or are doing right now, you need the present tense.
Let’s imagine you’re playing something. ‘To play’ is spielen.
Ich spiele - I play
Du spielst - you play
Er spielt - he plays
The ending of the verb changes depending on who is doing the playing.
For spielen - ‘to play’ - and lots of regular verbs you take off the**-en**.
And for ich you add -e, for du you add -st and for er, sie, es you add -t.
Let’s try some other useful verbs like machen - ‘to do’ or ‘to make’.
Ich mache einen Tee- I make tea
Du machst Videos - You make videos.
Er macht Sport - He does sport.
Let’s try gehen -‘ to go’.
Ich gehe in die Schule - I go to school.
Du gehst ins Bett - You go to bed.
Er geht ins Kino - He goes to the cinema.
Some verbs don’t follow this pattern.
Essen - ‘ to eat’ - is irregular because you don’t just take the -en off.
Ich esse Fleisch.
Du isst Bananen.
Sie isst einen Apfel.
So in the present tense ich ends in -e, du ends in -st and er, sie, es end in -t.
And watch out for those irregular verbs!
Take the verb Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (to listen). This is a regular (weak) verb. To form the present tense, start by removing the -en from the end. That leaves the stem hör. Then add the correct ending to match the subject.
| Subject | Stem | Ending | Full form | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | hör | -e | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | I listen |
| du | hör | -st | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | You listen |
| er | hör | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | He listens |
| sie | hör | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | She listens |
| es | hör | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | It listens |
| man | hör | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | One (you) listens |
| wir | hör | -en | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | We listen |
| ihr | hör | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | You listen |
| Sie | hör | -en | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | You listen |
| sie | hör | -en | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | They listen |
There are lots of weak, or regular, verbs in the present tense which follow this pattern. Examples include:
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – to make/to do
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – to go
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – to drink
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – to live
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – to be called
Mini quiz
What are the correct verb endings for Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (to play) in the present tense for each pronoun below?
| Pronoun | Ending | Full Form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| er | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | he plays |
| wir | -en | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | we play |
| ihr | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (plural) play |
| du | -st | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you play |
| man | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | one plays |
| Sie | -en | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (formal) play |
| ich | -e | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | I play |
| sie (she) | -t | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | she plays |
Quiz
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