Verbs & Conjugation in German – Grammar Made Simple
What is a verb?
A verb is an action word. It tells us what someone does, feels, or is. In other words, it's the part of the sentence that gives it life.
In German, just like in English, the verb is at the heart of every sentence. You can’t say much without one!
Also important: In most German main sentences, the verb comes in second position. This rule is key and will help you build correct sentence structure right from the start.
Verbs in their basic form are listed in dictionaries as the infinitive form. This is the "to do" version of the verb:
-
lernen (to learn)
-
essen (to eat)
-
gehen (to go)
-
sprechen (to speak)
All German infinitives end in -en or -n.
Tip: When you’re learning a new verb, note whether it’s regular or irregular. This will help you with conjugation later.
Conjugation – what does it mean?
Conjugation means changing the verb to match the subject of the sentence - that is, the person or thing doing the action.
Just like in English:
-
I go, she goes (we don’t say “she go”)
In German, verbs must also match the subject:
-
Ich lerne (I learn), du lernst (you learn), er lernt (he learns)
Each personal pronoun (ich, du, er...) has its own unique verb ending. These endings tell you who is doing the action — which is why you can often leave out the subject in informal speech (e.g. "Kommst du mit?" → Are you coming?).
Understanding conjugation is the key to making correct sentences in German.
Regular verb endings (present tense)
Most German verbs are regular, meaning they follow the same pattern when conjugated in the present tense.
Let’s use the verb lernen (to learn) as an example:
-
ich lerne → I learn
-
du lernst → you learn (informal singular)
-
er/sie/es lernt → he/she/it learns
-
wir lernen → we learn
-
ihr lernt → you learn (plural informal)
-
sie/Sie lernen → they/you (formal) learn
Tips for mastering this:
-
The wir and sie/Sie forms are always identical to the infinitive. That’s easy to remember!
-
The du form often causes trouble. It usually ends in -st.
-
The ihr form (you plural) is often forgotten — but it’s very common in spoken German!
More examples with regular verbs:
-
spielen (to play): ich spiele, du spielst, er spielt, wir spielen, ihr spielt, sie spielen
-
machen (to do/make): ich mache, du machst, sie macht, wir machen, ihr macht, sie machen
-
wohnen (to live): ich wohne, du wohnst, er wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie wohnen
Common irregular verbs (A1 level)
Some very common German verbs don’t follow the regular patterns. These are called irregular or strong verbs.
Most of these irregularities happen only in the du and er/sie/es forms, often with a vowel change.
Start by learning these important irregular verbs:
sein – to be (completely irregular!)
-
ich bin, du bist, er ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind
haben – to have:
-
ich habe, du hast, er hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie/Sie haben
sprechen – to speak:
-
ich spreche, du sprichst, er spricht, wir sprechen, ihr sprecht, sie sprechen
lesen – to read:
-
ich lese, du liest, er liest, wir lesen, ihr lest, sie lesen
fahren – to drive/go:
-
ich fahre, du fährst, er fährt, wir fahren, ihr fahrt, sie fahren
sehen – to see:
-
ich sehe, du siehst, er sieht, wir sehen, ihr seht, sie sehen
Tip: When learning an irregular verb, note the vowel changes. The most common ones are:
-
a → ä (fahren → du fährst)
-
e → i (sprechen → du sprichst)
-
e → ie (sehen → du siehst)
Don’t worry — there aren’t too many, and they become familiar with practice.
Separable verbs
Some German verbs begin with a prefix like auf-, an-, mit-, ab-, zu-, and this prefix separates from the verb in the present tense.
The main verb goes into position 2, and the prefix moves to the end of the sentence.
This might feel unusual at first, but learners quickly notice a rhythm to it — and these verbs appear constantly in everyday German.
Examples:
-
Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. (I get up at 7 o’clock.)
-
Wir rufen dich später an. (We’ll call you later.)
-
Kommst du mit? (Are you coming along?)
Common separable verbs at A1:
-
aufstehen – to get up
-
anrufen – to call
-
aufmachen – to open
-
zumachen – to close
-
mitkommen – to come along
-
abholen – to pick up
Tips:
-
Always check if the verb is separable. The dictionary usually lists them with a space or hyphen (e.g. auf·stehen).
-
Only the main verb conjugates, the prefix never changes.
-
This rule applies to statements, questions, and commands.
Reflexive verbs – sich freuen, sich setzen and more
Some verbs in German need a reflexive pronoun – like “myself” or “yourself” in English.
These are called reflexive verbs. You recognise them by the word sich before the verb in the dictionary.
In a sentence: The reflexive pronoun changes to match the subject.
-
Ich freue mich. (I’m happy.)
-
Du setzt dich. (You sit down.)
-
Er wäscht sich. (He washes himself.)
Common A1 reflexive verbs:
-
sich freuen (auf) – to look forward to
-
sich setzen – to sit down
-
sich beeilen – to hurry
-
sich waschen – to wash oneself
-
sich vorstellen (Akk) – to introduce oneself
-
sich interessieren (für) – to be interested in
-
sich fühlen – to feel
-
sich entschuldigen – to apologise
-
sich erinnern (an) – to remember
-
sich entspannen – to relax
Reflexive pronouns:
-
ich → mich
-
du → dich
-
er/sie/es → sich
-
wir → uns
-
ihr → euch
-
sie/Sie → sich
Tip: Not every language uses reflexive verbs the same way. In German, even simple actions often need them. Learn them together with their reflexive form!
Examples:
-
Ich freue mich auf den Kurs. (I’m looking forward to the course.)
-
Wir setzen uns an den Tisch. (We sit down at the table.)
Perfect tense
The perfect tense is used to describe past actions.
The perfect tense is formed using:
-
haben or sein (in position 2)
-
a past participle (at the end)
How it works:
-
Ich habe gegessen. (I have eaten.)
-
Er ist gegangen. (He went.)
Tips:
-
Most verbs use haben. Use sein for movement or change of state (gehen, kommen, fahren).
-
Learn the most common past participles: gemacht, gesagt, gegangen, gekommen, gegessen.
-
Even if you don’t use it much at A1, recognising it helps with listening and reading.
Modal verbs (basic)
Modal verbs express things like ability, necessity, permission, or desire. They are always used with another verb.
The modal verb is placed in position 2, and the main verb goes to the end of the sentence in the infinitive form.
Most common A1 modal verbs:
-
können – can / to be able to
-
müssen – must / to have to
-
wollen – to want to
Examples:
-
Ich kann gut kochen. (I can cook well.)
-
Wir müssen jetzt gehen. (We must go now.)
-
Sie will Deutsch lernen. (She wants to learn German.)
Tips:
-
Modal verbs change a lot in the present tense. Learn their irregular forms.
-
Modal verbs often appear with reflexive or separable verbs – combine the rules!
-
Start by building short modal sentences for everyday topics.
Sentence word order with verbs
Verb placement is one of the biggest differences between German and English.
Let’s keep it simple for A1:
In main clauses, the conjugated verb is always in position 2:
-
Ich lerne Deutsch.
-
Mein Bruder wohnt in Berlin.
-
Heute geht er ins Kino. ("Heute" is in position 1, so the verb follows.)
In yes/no questions, the verb comes first:
-
Lernst du Deutsch?
-
Geht er ins Kino?
When a sentence contains a modal verb (like können, müssen, möchten), the second verb goes at the end of the sentence in the infinitive:
-
Ich möchte Pizza essen. (I want to eat pizza.)
-
Wir müssen heute lernen. (We must study today.)
Tip: German sentences feel like little puzzles. If you can find the verb and place it correctly, you’re halfway there!
Summary – what you should remember
-
All German verbs in the dictionary end in -en or -n (infinitive form)
-
Conjugation is essential – it connects the verb to the subject
-
Regular verbs follow a clear pattern: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en
-
Irregular verbs must be memorised – especially “sein,” “haben,” “sprechen”
-
In normal sentences, the verb goes in position 2
-
In questions, it goes first
-
With modal verbs, the second verb goes to the end (in infinitive)
Learning verb conjugation is one of the most powerful steps in mastering German.