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Modal Verbs
Preposition
Nouns
Article Words
Pronouns
Types of Sentences I
Sentence Structure (Word Order)
Types of Sentences II
Word Formation
Adjectives
Parts of a Sentence
Conjunction/Subjunction
Adverb
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: Präsens (the present tense), Präteritum (the preterit(e) tense), Perfekt
(the perfect tense), Plusquamperfekt (the pluperfect tense), Futur I (the future tense) and Futur II (the future perfect tense).
Irregular Verbs: Active Present Tense Indicative
Normal Further Changes
(Infinitive) komm-en sprech-en heiß-en sei-n
ich komme spreche heiße bin
du kommst sprichst heißt bist
er/sie/es kommt spricht heißt ist
wir kommen sprechen heißen sind
ihr kommt sprecht heißt seid
sie (Sie) kommen sprechen heißen sind
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 > ä: tragen: ich trage, du trägst, er/sie/es trägt, wir tragen, ihr tragt, sie tragen
au > äu: laufen: ich laufe, du läufst, er/sie/es läuft, wir laufen, ihr lauft, sie laufen
Active Preterite Tense Indicative
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.:
gehen→ ich ging , bringen → ich brachte
With the exception of the verbs haben 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 haben (to have) and sein (to be) are irregular.
Past Participle (Partzip II)
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.:
fragen → gefragt, retten → gerettet
The past participle of regular verbs ending in the suffix -ieren is formed using only the suffix (ending) -t, e.g.:
telefonieren → telefoniert, reparieren → repariert
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.:
laufen → gelaufen, fliegen → geflogen
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-, bei-, mit-, vor-), for
example:
anmelden → angemeldet, mitnehmen → mitgenommen
Verbs without a separable prefix do not receive the grammatical prefix ge-, for example:
versuchen → versucht, beginnen → begonnen
(Dictionaries make reference to the form of the past participle of every irregular verb.)
Active Present Perfect Tense Indicative
The German present perfect tense is formed from the (present) form of haben or sein and the past participle of the required verb.
Only a few verbs form the present perfect with sein, e.g.:
verbs of movement, e.g.:
laufen – ich bin gelaufen, fliegen – ich bin geflogen
verbs expressing a change of condition, e.g.:
umsteigen – ich bin umgestiegen, aufstehen – ich bin aufgestanden
the verbs sein (to be), werden (to become, to grow) and bleiben (to stay, to remain): ich bin (da) gewesen (I was there), ich bin (alt) geworden (I grew old), ich
bin (jung) geblieben (I stayed young).
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). However, modal verbs (especially in combination with other verbs), as with haben 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
haben (usually) ich hatte (eine Frage) – (seldom) ich habe (eine Frage) gehabt
sein (usually) ich war (zu Hause) – (seldom) ich bin (zu Hause) gewesen
Active Pluperfect (Past Perfect) Indicative
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.:
Active Future Tense Indicative (Futur I)
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, wahrscheinlich, etc. For example:
Er wird jetzt (wohl/wahrscheinlich) zu Hause sein.
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 bald 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.
(sein) (haben)
ich (war →) wär(e) (hatte →) hätte
du (warst →) wär(e)st (hattest →) hättest
er/sie/es (war →) wär(e) (hatte →) hätte
wir (waren →) wären (hatten →) hätten
ihr (wart →) wär(e)t (hattet →) hättet
sie (Sie) (waren →) wären (hatten →) hätten
The stem vowel is often transformed into an umlaut: a > ä, o > ö, u > ü.
Some personal endings also take an -e. This is often dropped in spoken language.
The past subjunctive is often replaced by the form of würde + infinitive, e.g.:
Wenn er mich fragte, dann … → Wenn er mich fragen würde, dann …
Wenn du mir hälfest/hülfest, dann … → Wenn du mir helfen würdest, dann …
When asking polite questions, making requests (favors, advice), expressing wishes or setting conditions (in complex sentences), the past subjunctive, as well as the
würde + infinitive form, are often used. It marks a process as not (yet) real, e.g.:
facultative: Hätten Sie noch einen Wunsch? (in addition to: Haben Sie …?)
facultative: Wärst du daran interessiert? (in addition to: Bist du …?)
facultative: Wären Sie so freundlich, mir die Tür zu öffnen? (in addition to: Sind Sie …?)
obligatory: Würden Sie mir bitte die Tür öffnen?
obligatory: Ich an deiner Stelle würde das anders machen.
obligatory: Ich hätte gern eine Auskunft. (not: Ich habe …)
obligatory: Wenn ich mehr Geld hätte, dann könnte ich eine Reise machen.
Imperative
The imperative form (for requests and instructions) can be made from practically every verb:
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.:
Advice/Recommendation: Versuch(e) das doch mal. (Try this.)
Request: Helft mir bitte. (Help me please.)
Order/Command: Kommen Sie sofort in mein Büro. (Come into my office right now!)
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.:
ich frage – Present Tense + Indicative + Active
du schriebst – 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.:
Passive Substitutes
The passive form (dynamic passive) can be substituted with lassen + sich + infinitive when trying to express the modal meaning ‘möglich’ (possible) (können), e.g.:
Das kann gemacht werden. → Das lässt sich machen.
and with sein + adjective (derived from the verb) with the suffix -bar, e.g.:
Das kann gemacht werden. → Das ist machbar.
Regimen
Verbs may require an accusative object (a completion, supplemental information) e.g.:
fragen → Ich frage den Lehrer (ihn).
besuchen → Ich besuche meine Schwester (sie).
öffnen → Sie öffnet ein Fenster (es).
beantworten → Wir beantworten eure Fragen (sie).
Verbs may require an object (a completion, supplemental information) with a specific preposition (prepositional object), e.g.:
warten auf → Ich warte auf den Bus.
sich freuen auf → Sie freut sich auf unsern Besuch.
sich freuen über → Freust du dich über 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.:
Ich frage mich, warum das so ist.
Du hilfst dir damit nicht.
If the verb requires an accusative object, the facultative reflexive pronoun will be in the dative, e.g.:
Das (acc.) überlege ich (mir) noch.
Willst du (dir) den Film (acc.) ansehen?
The reflexive pronoun always comes after the conjugated verb in statements (second verb phrase).