Types of verbs in German. Classification of German verbs by conjugation type

There are two types: strong and weak. For those who have not studied German, the system of distinguishing them will seem difficult. But this is only at first glance.

The strong differ from the weak in how they behave when conjugated in singular present tense (Präsens), in the past tense (Präteritum) and in the form (Partizip II)

Partizip II is a verb form that corresponds to a participle in Russian. It is mainly used to form the past tense Perfekt.

However, here you can notice a certain pattern, which consists in the fact that certain roots of the following are transformed into such in the form of present tense:

1.a - ä fallen - fällt
2.au - äu laufen - läuft
3.e - i, ie, ieh, a flechten - fliecht

Some of the strong verbs have no personal endings in the first and third person present tense:
ich / er lief

The präteritum of strong verbs is formed by changing the root vowel, for example:

backen - buk

There is an internal system of verb distribution by changing the root vowel. This makes it easier to memorize specific shapes.

Partizip II as another hallmark of a strong verb

A distinctive feature of strong verbs is also the formation of Partizip II, because in this case, the prefix ge- and the ending -en are attached to the basic form of the verb, while in the weak the prefix ge- and the ending -t. Compare:

bergen - barg - geborgen
machen - machte - gemacht

By these signs, you can understand whether it is a strong verb or a weak one. If you are careful, then everything is simple and clear. Not knowing the elementary rules, many get lost, not knowing what the initial form of the verb is, so they go through the wrong options. To make it easier to memorize the formation of Präsens, Präteritum and Partizip II of strong verbs, there is a special table in which the changes of the verbs are indicated. In German-Russian dictionaries, this table is usually placed, which significantly reduces the search time for a particular word.

Related Videos

Tip 2: declension of German verbs: rules and practice

The verb system in German is somewhat more complicated than in English, since German has a separate verb form for each person, but for a Russian person this is not at all surprising. In addition, the German language has a rather complex system of tenses; you can find more detailed information about this in the grammar section

Rules for conjugation of verbs in German

Present Verb Conjugation (Prasens)

The temporal form Prasens is used to indicate action in the present or future tense. When you change the verb by person, personal endings are added to the stem of the verb. A number of verbs show some peculiarities when conjugated in presentation.

Weak verbs

Most verbs in German are weak. When they are conjugated in the present tense, personal endings are added to the stem of the verb (see fragen - to ask).

• If the stem of a verb (weak or strong, does not change the root vowel) ends in d, t or a combination of consonants chn, ffn, dm, gn, tm (e.g. antworten, bilden, zeichnen), then a vowel is inserted between the stem of the verb and the personal ending e.
• If the stem of a verb (weak or strong) ends in s, ss,?, Z, tz (for example, gru? En, hei? En, lesen, sitzen), then the 2nd person singular s in the ending drops out, and the verbs get the ending -t.

Strong verbs

Strong verbs in the 2nd and 3rd person singular change the root vowel:

• a, au, o receive an umlaut (e.g. fahren, laufen, halten),
• the vowel e becomes i or ie (geben, lesen).

For strong verbs with a variable root vowel, the stem of which ends in -t, in the 2nd and 3rd person singular, the connecting vowel e is not added, in the 3rd person also the ending is not added (for example, halten - du haltst, er halt), and in the second person plural (where the root vowel does not change) they, like weak verbs, get the connecting e (ihr haltet.)

Irregular Verbs

Auxiliary verbs sein (to be), haben (to have), werden (to become), by their morphological features, refer to irregular verbs that, when conjugated in presentation, show a deviation from the general rule.

Modal verbs and the verb "wissen"

Modal verbs and the verb "wissen" belong to the group of so-called Praterito-Prasentia verbs. The historical development of these verbs has led to the fact that their conjugation in the present tense (Prasens) coincides with the conjugation of strong verbs in the past tense Prateritum: modal verbs change the root vowel in the singular (except sollen), and in the 1st and 3rd person singular have no endings.

Conjugation of the verb stehen

The verb stehen is not conjugated correctly. Forms of the verb steht, stand, hat gestanden. Alternating vowels e - a - a at the root: "haben" is used as an auxiliary verb for stehen. However, there are temporary forms with the auxiliary sein. The verb stehen can be used in reflexive form.

Conjugation of the verb machen

The conjugation of the verb machen is irregular. The forms of the verb macht, machte, hat gemacht. The auxiliary verb for machen is haben. However, there are temporary forms with the auxiliary sein. The verb machen can be used in a reflexive form.

Sein verb

In German, the verb (verb) sein can be called basic. With its help, tenses and other language constructions, as well as idioms, are built. German verb sein is similar in functionality to the English verb. to be. It has the same meaning and also changes its shape when conjugated.

German verb sein as an independent verb. in its full lexical meaning it is translated as "to be". In present tense (Präsens) it conjugates like this:

• Singular (singular)
• Ic h (i) - bin (is)
• Du (you) - bist (is)
• Er / sie / es (he / she / it) - ist (is)
• Plural (plural)
• Wir (we) - sind (is)
• Ihr (you) - seid (is)
• Sie / sie (you / they) - sind (is)

In the past unfinished tense (Präteritum) it is conjugated like this:

• Singular (singular)
• Ich (i) - war (was / was)
• Du (you) - warst (was / was)
• Er / sie / es (he / she / it) - war (was / was / was)
• Plural (plural)
• Wir (we) - waren (were)
• Ihr (you) - wart (were)
• Sie / sie (you / they) - waren (were)

The third form of the verb sein is gewesen is not conjugated.

Declension of german verbs

There are no first and second person singular forms in the main (large) table. This is done in order to make it easier to memorize verbs, and also because these forms obey certain rules, valid for both regular (weak) and irregular (strong) verbs.

The first person singular form differs from the infinitive only by the absence of the last letter -n. The second person singular is usually formed by adding the suffix -s- before the last letter -t to the third person singular.

Illustrative examples of the conjugation of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person verbs in the present tense are given in the small table at the bottom of the page.

The plural in all persons (except one) coincides with the infinitive: essen - wir / sie essen. This also applies to treating you with respect, singular or plural: Sie essen.

There were some exceptions. If we are addressing several well-known people (friends, colleagues, children, etc.) in German in German, then we use the pronoun ihr, and add the suffix -t to the verb stem. Very often (but not always) this form coincides with the third person singular: Ihr bergt ein Geheimnis. - You are hiding some kind of secret.

Consider the declension of a noun by the weak type (there are few of them in the language and they need to be memorized), and the verb (there are relatively few irregularities in the language, they also need to be learned) - by the strong (irregular) type. Verbs of this type can change root vowels and even in some cases the entire stem during conjugation and, according to special, not always explainable rules, form three main forms of the verb necessary for the formation of different tenses and moods. Take the noun der Seebär (sea wolf) and the verb vergeben (to give).

Verbs, in view of the fact that they denote actions, processes, states, etc., which could have occurred in the past, proceed or are taking place now or will take place in the future, also change in time. In the German language, the system of temporal shaping of verbs differs significantly from the Russian one and has simple and complex tenses. For the sake of completeness, consider the declension of a noun according to the third - feminine type and conjugation of the verb in the simple past tense Präteritum. Take the noun die Zunge (language) and two verbs in the Präterit form: the correct one is testen (to check) and the incorrect verzeihen (to forgive).

Learning the conjugation of German verbs

You need to master:

• Varieties of verbs. There are five of them: regular, irregular, verbs with a separable or non-separable prefix, and verbs ending in –ieren. Each of these groups of verbs has its own conjugation characteristics.
• Groups of strong verbs. In each of these groups or subgroups, strong (irregular) verbs are inclined in the same way. It is more convenient to sort out one such group in one lesson than to study tables in which all strong verbs are given in a row.
• Declension of reflexive verbs or verbs with reflexive pronoun sich. In general, it does not differ from the general conjugation scheme for weak verbs, but there are nuances.
• Topic "Modal Verbs".
• Verbs with two forms of conjugation. They can be inflected both as strong and as weak, pay special attention to verbs with two meanings (according to the meaning, the type of conjugation is determined).
• Declension of German past tense verbs (Präteritum, Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt). Many reference books provide three popular forms: the infinitive, the simple past tense, and the participle used to form the perfect tense (Partizip II).
• Declination in special forms of the German future tense (Futur I and Futur II).
• Declination of German verbs in different moods (two forms of the subjunctive mood - Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II, and the imperative mood, that is, the imperative).

Pros of learning German

1. German is not only one of the most widely spoken in European countries, it is also native to over 120 million people. Germany alone has a population of over 80 million, making the country the most populous in all of Europe. German is also the mother tongue of many other countries. These are Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Knowledge of the German language makes it possible to communicate not only with residents of the above countries, but also with a significant part of Italians and Belgians, French and Danes, as well as Poles, Czechs and Romanians.
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7. By learning German you have the opportunity to travel. In Germany, various exchange programs have been created for schoolchildren and students from different countries of the world, as well as for the provision of education in Germany.

We have already casually talked about conjugation of verbs, and also got acquainted with such a concept as strong, weak, mixedand irregular Verbs.

Now we will try to understand in more detail what these concepts mean. The differences between these groups are clearly observed past tense (Präterium or else it is called Imperfekt) and second communion (Partizip II)... therefore Präteritum, Partizip II just like Infinitiv, should be considered basic forms of the German verb (die Grund - formen). Therefore, they should be memorized like this:

Infinitiv - Präteritum - Partizip II.

1) weak:machen - machte - gemacht.

2) strong: lesen - las - gelesen.

3) mixed:kennen - kannte - gekannt.

4) modal: können - konnte - gekonnt.

5) incorrect:sein - war - gewesen.

The largest group in the German language is weak verbs (die schwachen Verben).The conjugation type of some weak verbs form the forms of newly emerging words: das Licht (light) - ablichten (photocopy), der Saft (juice) - saften (squeeze juice).

Recall that weak verbs are called so due to the fact that do not change their root vowel when conjugated in all temporal forms... Präteritum is formed with the suffix -e (te), and Parizip II is formed with the prefix -geand suffix - (e) t (added to the stem of the word):

ask: fragen - frafte - gefragt;

live: leben - lebte - gelebt;

play: spielen - spielt - gespielt.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the German language has separable and non-separable verbs, and loan verbswith suffix –Ieren... Verbs with non-separable prefixes and the --ieren suffix in Partizip II do not receive the -ge prefix:

change: verändern - veränderte - verändert;

interest: interessieren - interessierte - interessiert.

Now consider strong verbs (die starke Verben)... The number of these verbs is limited, and new words are not formed by the conjugation of strong verbs. Remember that by strong verbs relate verbs that in Präteritum and Partizip II can change their root vowel or word form... For example, to read : lesen - las - gelesen; suggest: bieten - bot - geboten.

Changes in root vowels in strong verbs are subject to a certain rule, therefore, several main types of changes can be distinguished.

Type I - root vowels in all tenses are different:

find: finden - fand - gefunden;

to help: helfen - half - geholfen;

start off: beginnen - begann - begonnen;

lie down: liegen - lag - gelegen.

Type II - The root vowels in Infinitiv and Partizip II are the same:

to give: geben - gab - gegeben;

go: fahren-fuhr - gefahren;

run away: laufen - lief - gelaufen.

Type III - The root vowels in Präteritum and Parizip II are the same:

write: schreiben-schrieb - geschrieben;

grab: greifen - griff - gegriffen;

fly: fliegen - flog - geflogen.

Mixed verbs (die gemischten Verben) - these are verbs that have signs of strong verbs (alternating root vowel) and weak verbs (suffixes -te, -t). Of such verbs 8 in German:

know: kennen - kannte - gekannt;

call: nennen - nannte - genannt;

rush: rennen - rannte - gerannt;

burn: brennen - brannte - gebrannt;

send(broadcast by radio / TV): senden - sandte - gesandt;

turn(collapse): wenden - wendete - gewendet;

bring: bringen - brachte - gebracht;

think: denken - dachte - gedacht.

Deserve special attention modal verbs (Modalverben)... These are the verbs that they call not an action, but only an attitude towards it. Modal verbs have no umlaut in Präteritum and Partizip II. Modal verbs total 6 , you can also add twist a verb wissen ( know):

be able to be physically able: können - konnte - gekonnt;

can, have permission nie: dürfen - durfte - gedurft;

must: müssen - mußte - gemußt;

must, b be obligated: sollen - sollte - gesollt;

want, have permission: wollen - wollte - gewollt;

want, desire: mögen - mochte - gemocht;

know: wissen - wußte - gewußt.

Now let's talk about irregular verbs (die unregelmäßigen Verben)... You just need to remember this group of verbs, there are only 6 :

to be: sein - war - gewesen;

have: haben - hatte - gehabt;

become: werden - wurde - geworden;

go: gehen - ging - gegangen;

stand: stehen - stand - gestanden;

do: tun - tat - getan.

Still have questions? Not sure how to determine the conjugation of a German verb?
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I want to note that on the site most of the words and cards for learning are presented in English, and this is not surprising, because they study English more than French, Spanish and other languages. But today I am ready to present a new selection of verbs, albeit in German.

It is not surprising that there are irregular verbs in English and German. In English - this, in German - Starke verben... As you might have guessed, you just need to learn them, so as not to have problems in the future. We can already find the irregular verbs of the English language on the site, and you will find German strong verbs in this post.

How many German strong verbs are there? It is impossible to give an exact answer to this question, since any language has outdated forms, and vice versa. Why do we need to study ancient words and expressions, because the language also tends to renew itself over time. I have prepared a list of the most common strong verbs in the German language. You can study and not be afraid that such a verb is no longer used in modern German.

Let's take a look at our table called "List of strong conjugated verbs" (see below). We have 4 columns:

— Infinitiv
— Präsens
— Imperfekt
— Partizip II

We all know what they mean (if not, then go ahead to learning the basics). So, I decided not to enter the form in the dictionary for Lingvo Tutor Präsens for the simple reason that we will have to type too many words either on a PDA or on a computer. And the shape Präsens not considered highly problematic in German.

Don't be greedy for comments, write what you think about the collection!

List of strong conjugated verbs

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