German conjugation explanation
Stem-changing verbs (Present Tense)
<p>In German, many common verbs are "strong verbs" (<span style="font-style: italic;">starke Verben</span>). Unlike regular "weak verbs" that keep the same stem throughout the conjugation, strong verbs often undergo a <strong>vowel change</strong> in the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/48/" target="_blank">Present Indicative</a>
.</p><p>Important: This stem change <strong>only</strong> happens in the <strong>Singular 2nd Person</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">du</span>) and <strong>Singular 3rd Person</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">er/sie/es</span>). The <span style="font-style: italic;">ich</span> form and all plural forms remain regular.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Pattern 1: a → ä</div>
<p>Verbs containing <strong>a</strong> in the stem often change to <strong>ä</strong>. Common examples include
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/fahren/" title="Click to see conjugations for fahren" target="_blank">fahren</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to drive</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/schlafen/" title="Click to see conjugations for schlafen" target="_blank">schlafen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to sleep</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/trainieren/" title="Click to see conjugations for trainieren" target="_blank">tragen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to carry</span>), and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/waschen/" title="Click to see conjugations for waschen" target="_blank">waschen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to wash</span>).</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Du <span class="green_emphasis">fährst</span> zu schnell. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You are driving too fast.</span>) </div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Das Kind <span class="green_emphasis">schläft</span> noch. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The child is still sleeping.</span>) </div>
<p>In the conjugation table below, notice how the vowel only changes for <span style="font-style: italic;">du</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">er/sie/es</span>:</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/48/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Präsens</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ich
</span>fahr<span style="text-decoration: underline;">e</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
du
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fähr<span style="text-decoration: underline;">st</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
er
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fähr<span style="text-decoration: underline;">t</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
wir
</span>fahr<span style="text-decoration: underline;">en</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ihr
</span>fahr<span style="text-decoration: underline;">t</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
sie
</span>fahr<span style="text-decoration: underline;">en</span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> Verbs with <strong>au</strong> in the stem change to <strong>äu</strong>. An important example is
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/laufen/" title="Click to see conjugations for laufen" target="_blank">laufen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to run/walk</span>):</p><p style="font-style: italic;">laufen → du <span class="in_word_highlight">läu</span>fst, er <span class="in_word_highlight">läu</span>ft</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Pattern 2: e → i</div>
<p>This is a very frequent change. It applies to verbs such as
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/geben/" title="Click to see conjugations for geben" target="_blank">geben</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to give</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/sprechen/" title="Click to see conjugations for sprechen" target="_blank">sprechen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to speak</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/helfen/" title="Click to see conjugations for helfen" target="_blank">helfen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to help</span>), and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/essen/" title="Click to see conjugations for essen" target="_blank">essen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to eat</span>).</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Er <span class="green_emphasis">spricht</span> sehr gut Deutsch. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He speaks German very well.</span>) </div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Was <span class="green_emphasis">gibt</span> es heute zum Mittagessen? (<span style="font-style: italic;">What is there for lunch today?</span>) </div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/48/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Präsens</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ich
</span>sprec<span style="text-decoration: underline;">he</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
du
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">spric<span style="text-decoration: underline;">hst</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
er
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">spric<span style="text-decoration: underline;">ht</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
wir
</span>sprec<span style="text-decoration: underline;">hen</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ihr
</span>sprec<span style="text-decoration: underline;">ht</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
sie
</span>sprec<span style="text-decoration: underline;">hen</span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Pattern 3: e → ie</div>
<p>Verbs that have a long <span style="font-style: italic;">e</span> sound usually change to <strong>ie</strong>. The most common examples are
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/sehen/" title="Click to see conjugations for sehen" target="_blank">sehen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to see</span>) and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/lesen/" title="Click to see conjugations for lesen" target="_blank">lesen</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to read</span>).</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> <span class="green_emphasis">Siehst</span> du den Vogel dort? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Do you see the bird there?</span>) </div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Sie <span class="green_emphasis">liest</span> jeden Abend ein Buch. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She reads a book every evening.</span>) </div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/48/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Präsens</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ich
</span>seh<span style="text-decoration: underline;">e</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
du
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">sie<span style="text-decoration: underline;">hst</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
er
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">sie<span style="text-decoration: underline;">ht</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
wir
</span>seh<span style="text-decoration: underline;">en</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ihr
</span>seh<span style="text-decoration: underline;">t</span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
sie
</span>seh<span style="text-decoration: underline;">en</span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Common Mistake</div>
<p>Learners often apply regular endings to the unaltered stem. Remember that the stem must change for <strong>du</strong> and <strong>er/sie/es</strong>.</p>
<ul> <li><span class="red_emphasis">Du fahrst</span> → <span class="green_emphasis">Du fährst</span></li> <li><span class="red_emphasis">Er gebt</span> → <span class="green_emphasis">Er gibt</span></li> <li><span class="red_emphasis">Sie seht</span> → <span class="green_emphasis">Sie sieht</span></li> </ul>