Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Verbs
Verbs are conjugated (conjugation). Depending on the subject (person, number), different endings are
added to the verb stem (infinitive without en or n). Some verbs will have further changes, especially the
irregular verbs.
When conjugated, verbs also form a tense (verb tense). There are six tenses in German: Prsens (the
present tense), Prteritum (the preterit(e) tense), Perfekt (the perfect tense), Plusquamperfekt (the
pluperfect tense), Futur I (the future tense) and Futur II (the future perfect tense).
Often, when common irregular verbs are conjugated, the 2nd and 3rd person singular stem vowel changes
in the present tense (vowel change), e.g.
e > i: helfen: ich helfe, du hilfst, er/sie/es hilft, wir helfen, ihr helft, sie helfen
a > : tragen: ich trage, du trgst, er/sie/es trgt, wir tragen, ihr tragt, sie tragen
au > u: laufen: ich laufe, du lufst, er/sie/es luft, wir laufen, ihr lauft, sie laufen
The preterite of regular verbs is formed by inserting the suffix -t- between the stem and the personal ending.
An e is added to the preterite -t- when the verb stem ends in a -d or -t. The preterite of irregular verbs is
formed without the suffix -t- and the stem vowel changes. The 1st and 3rd person singular do not have a
personal ending. Some verbs are conjugated using a combination (regular and irregular). These verbs form
the preterite with the suffix -t- and a change to the stem vowel. Some verbs have additional changes in the
stem, e.g.:
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 1/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
gehen ich ging , b ringen ich b rachte
With the exception of the verbs hab en and sein and the modal verbs, whose preterite tense is also used in
oral speech, the preterite tense is most commonly used in written narratives and reports.
The preterite forms of the verbs hab en (to have) and sein (to be) are irregular.
The past participle of regular verbs without prefixes is formed with the (grammatical) prefix ge-, the verb stem
and the (grammatical) suffix (ending) (e)t, e.g.:
The past participle of regular verbs ending in the suffix -ieren is formed using only the suffix (ending) -t, e.g.:
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 2/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
The past participle of irregular verbs without a prefix is formed with the (grammatical) prefix ge-, the verb
stem (often with a changed stem vowel) and the (grammatical) suffix (ending) -en, e.g.:
The grammatical prefix ge- is inserted between the prefix and verb stem in verbs with a separable prefix (e.g.:
verbs beginning with ab -, an-, aus-, b ei-, mit-, vor-), for example:
Verbs without a separable prefix do not receive the grammatical prefix ge-, for example:
(Dictionaries make reference to the form of the past participle of every irregular verb.)
The German present perfect tense is formed from the (present) form of hab en or sein and the past participle
of the required verb.
Most verbs form the present perfect with the auxiliary verb hab en, e.g.:
Only a few verbs form the present perfect with sein, e.g.:
A process (an action, etc.) can be conveyed in the past using both the preterite and perfect tenses.
Predominantly, the past is conveyed using the perfect tense in spoken German (every day language).
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 3/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
However, modal verbs (especially in combination with other verbs), as with hab en and sein, usually take the
preterite tense, e.g.:
sehen (usually) ich habe (ihn) gesehen (seldom) ich sah (ihn)
wollen (usually) ich wollte (ihn) fragen (seldom) ich habe (ihn) fragen wollen
hab en (usually) ich hatte (eine Frage) (seldom) ich habe (eine Frage) gehabt
sein (usually) ich war (zu Hause) (seldom) ich bin (zu Hause) gewesen
The pluperfect is formed using a preterite form of haben or sein (like the perfect tense) and the past
participle of the verb to be conjugated.
The pluperfect is used to refer to a process that occured and was completed in the past before another
past process that is also being mentioned at the same time using the preterite or perfect tenses, e.g.:
The future tense is formed using a (present tense) form of werden and the infinitive of the verb to be
conjugated.
In order to express a process that will occur in the future, you would be likely to use the present tense and a
time reference. The future tense is not used in this manner as frequently. For example:
(selten) Ich werde (morgen) ins Kino gehen. (meistens) Ich gehe morgen ins Kino.
The future tense often expresses a speculation (= a modal meaning), also in combination with wohl,
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 4/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
wahrscheinlich, etc. For example:
As the predicate of the sentence multiple (composite) verb forms like the present perfect, pluperfect and the
future tenses, make a Satzklammer (sentence bracket) around other elements or phrases (see also Word
Order ), e.g.:
[ ]
Ich habe ihn gestern gesehen.
Ich hatte ihn vorher schon einmal getroffen.
Ich werde ihn b ald besuchen.
In addition to expressing person, number and tense, a conjugated verb form also expresses a mood
(Modus). The indicative, imperative and subjunctive are moods.
The indicative mood is expressed in the tense. It does not take on special forms, e.g.:
The subjunctive takes on special forms that are derived from the indicative form.
The past subjunctive is formed based on the indicative preterite form of the verb.
(sein) (haben)
ich (war ) wr(e) (hatte ) htte
du (warst ) wr(e)st (hattest ) httest
er/sie/es (war ) wr(e) (hatte ) htte
wir (waren ) wren (hatten ) htten
ihr (wart ) wr(e)t (hattet ) httet
sie (Sie) (waren ) wren (hatten ) htten
The stem vowel is often transformed into an umlaut: a > , o > , u > .
Some personal endings also take an -e. This is often dropped in spoken language.
The past subjunctive is often replaced by the form of wrde + infinitive, e.g.:
When asking polite questions, making requests (favors, advice), expressing wishes or setting conditions (in
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 5/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
complex sentences), the past subjunctive, as well as the wrde + infinitive form, are often used. It marks a
process as not (yet) real, e.g.:
facultative: Htten Sie noch einen Wunsch? (in addition to: Hab en Sie ?)
facultative: Wrst du daran interessiert? (in addition to: Bist du ?)
facultative: Wren Sie so freundlich, mir die Tr zu ffnen? (in addition to: Sind Sie ?)
obligatory: Wrden Sie mir b itte die Tr ffnen?
obligatory: Ich an deiner Stelle wrde das anders machen.
obligatory: Ich htte gern eine Auskunft. (not: Ich hab e )
obligatory: Wenn ich mehr Geld htte, dann knnte ich eine Reise machen.
Imperative
The imperative form (for requests and instructions) can be made from practically every verb:
Singular verb stem + ending -e (the -e is often not pronounced in spoken language), e.g.:
fragen frag(e), kommen komm(e), gehen geh , sein sei
verbs with a vowel change from e to i also require a vowel change in the imperative form;
the imperative is formed from e to i in these cases, e.g.:
geb en gib , nehmen nimm , sehen sieh
Plural verb stem + ending -t, e.g.:
fragen fragt, gehen geht, geb en geb t, sehen seht
but: sein seid
Different kinds of requests and commands can be expressed with the imperative. Other words - and in
spoken German the way something is said - play an important role, e.g.:
In addition to expressing person, number, tense and mood, a conjugated verb form also expresses the
genus verbi (kind of verb). The active and passive are forms of genus verbi.
The active form is expressed naturally using the tense-mood forms illustrated above. There is no special
form, e.g.:
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 6/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
du schrieb st Preterite + Indicative + Active
sie ist gekommen Present Perfect + Indicative + Active
The passive (dynamic passive) voice has special forms. It is produced using a form of werden and the past
participle of the verb, e.g.:
Active and passive (dynamic passive) allow you to present circumstances from different perspectives, e.g.:
Passive Substitutes
The passive form (dynamic passive) can be substituted with lassen + sich + infinitive when trying to express
the modal meaning mglich (possible) (knnen), e.g.:
and with sein + adjective (derived from the verb) with the suffix -b ar, e.g.:
Regimen
Verbs may require an object (a completion, supplemental information) with a specific preposition
(prepositional object), e.g.:
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 7/8
13/3/2014 Grammar
warten auf Ich warte auf den Bus.
sich freuen auf Sie freut sich auf unsern Besuch.
sich freuen b er Freust du dich ber das Geschenk?
It is possible for the accusative object or the dative object to refer to one and the same person as the subject
with some verbs so it refers back to the subject. If so, this is called a reflexive verb. The accusative object
or the dative object is expressed via a reflexive pronoun (mich mir, dich dir, sich sich ), e.g.:
If the verb requires an accusative object, the facultative reflexive pronoun will be in the dative, e.g.:
The reflexive pronoun of reflexive verbs usually takes the accusative (exception, e.g.: sich (dat.) merken); it
changes (as with reflexively used verbs) according to the grammatical gender of the subject, e.g.:
The reflexive pronoun always comes after the conjugated verb in statements (second verb phrase).
http://deutschkurse.dw.de/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wo/55.11.1.0.1 8/8