Verbs (AQA GCSE German): Revision Notes
German verbs - Essential vocabulary for GCSE
German verbs are the backbone of the language, expressing actions, states, and relationships. This revision guide covers essential verbs you'll need for your GCSE German exam, organised by themes to help you learn them more effectively.
Core vocabulary by themes
Daily activities and routines
Learning verbs for everyday activities helps you describe your daily life and routines in German. These verbs form the foundation of basic conversations and are essential for describing your daily routine in speaking and writing tasks.
| German verb | English translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| aufstehen | to get up, stand up | separable verb |
| anziehen | to put on, attract | sich anziehen = to get dressed |
| schlafen | to sleep | |
| essen | to eat | |
| trinken | to drink | |
| arbeiten | to work | |
| lernen | to learn | |
| studieren | to study | more formal than lernen |
| wohnen | to live, reside | |
| leben | to live, be alive | different meaning from wohnen |
Notice the difference between wohnen and leben - both mean "to live" but wohnen refers to where you reside, while leben means to be alive or your way of life.
Movement and travel
These verbs help you describe going places and movement. They're particularly useful for travel vocabulary and describing journeys, which are common topics in GCSE listening and reading exercises.
| German verb | English translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| gehen | to go, walk | |
| kommen | to come | |
| fahren | to travel, drive | |
| fliegen | to fly | |
| laufen | to run, walk | |
| steigen | to climb, increase | |
| fallen | to fall | |
| bringen | to bring | |
| nehmen | to take |
Communication and interaction
Essential verbs for expressing yourself and interacting with others. These are crucial for role-play scenarios and demonstrating your ability to communicate effectively in German.
| German verb | English translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sprechen | to speak, talk | |
| sagen | to say, tell | |
| antworten | to answer | |
| fragen | to ask | |
| erzählen | to tell, narrate | takes von + dative |
| erklären | to explain | |
| hören | to hear, listen | |
| sehen | to see, watch | |
| zeigen | to show, point |
erzählen (to tell/narrate) takes the preposition von + dative case. For example: "Er erzählt von seinem Urlaub" (He tells about his holiday).
Emotions and thoughts
Verbs that help you express feelings and mental states. These allow you to demonstrate more sophisticated language use and personal opinions in your GCSE responses.
| German verb | English translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| denken | to think | takes an + accusative |
| glauben | to believe | takes an + accusative |
| hoffen | to hope | takes auf + accusative |
| lieben | to love | |
| mögen | to like | modal verb |
| wollen | to want | modal verb |
| können | to be able to | modal verb |
| sollen | to should, ought to | modal verb |
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Verb endings and conjugation
German verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action. Understanding conjugation patterns is fundamental to German grammar and essential for accurate communication.
The infinitive form (shown in the vocabulary list) always ends in -en or -n.
Worked Example: Conjugating "sprechen" (to speak)
- ich spreche (I speak)
- du sprichst (you speak - informal)
- er/sie/es spricht (he/she/it speaks)
- wir sprechen (we speak)
- ihr sprecht (you speak - plural)
- sie/Sie sprechen (they speak/you speak - formal)
Separable verbs
Many German verbs are separable, meaning the prefix splits from the main verb in certain tenses. This is a key feature of German grammar that often challenges students.
Critical Rule: In main clauses, separable verbs split apart. The prefix goes to the end of the sentence.
Look out for verbs like "aufstehen" (to get up), "anziehen" (to put on), and "einkaufen" (to shop).
Worked Example: Using separable verbs
- Infinitive: aufstehen (to get up)
- Conjugated: "Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf" (I get up at 7 o'clock)
- Notice how "auf" moves to the end of the sentence
Case requirements
Some verbs require specific cases for their objects. Learning these patterns will help you use German verbs correctly and avoid common grammatical mistakes.
Essential Case Patterns:
- Accusative verbs: Most verbs take the accusative case (e.g., sehen, haben, kaufen)
- Dative verbs: Some verbs take dative (e.g., helfen, gefallen, folgen)
- Preposition + case: Some verbs need specific prepositions (e.g., denken an + accusative)
Pronunciation tips
Correct pronunciation helps with listening comprehension and speaking confidence. Focus on these key pronunciation patterns:
- The letter ä in verbs like "erzählen" sounds like the 'e' in "bed"
- ie combinations (like in "lieben") make a long 'ee' sound
- sch combinations (like in "sprechen") sound like 'sh' in English
German pronunciation is generally more consistent than English - once you learn the patterns, you can usually pronounce new words correctly!
Example sentences
Understanding how to use these verbs in context is essential for exam success. Practice with these authentic examples to improve your fluency.
Present Tense Examples
- "Ich spreche Deutsch" (I speak German)
- "Sie kommt aus Berlin" (She comes from Berlin)
- "Wir lernen zusammen" (We learn together)
- "Er kann sehr gut singen" (He can sing very well)
Past Tense (Perfect) Examples
- "Ich bin um 8 Uhr aufgestanden" (I got up at 8 o'clock)
- "Wir haben gestern Fußball gespielt" (We played football yesterday)
- "Sie hat mir geholfen" (She helped me)
- "Er ist nach Hause gegangen" (He went home)
Future Tense Examples
- "Ich werde morgen arbeiten" (I will work tomorrow)
- "Du wirst es verstehen" (You will understand it)
Translation practice exercise
Practice translating these sentences to test your understanding of the vocabulary and grammar patterns covered above.
Translation Practice
German to English:
- "Mein Bruder kann sehr gut kochen, aber ich kann nur einfache Gerichte machen."
- "Gestern sind wir ins Kino gegangen und haben einen interessanten Film gesehen."
English to German: 3. "I want to learn German because I love the language." 4. "She is coming tomorrow and we will go shopping together."
Answers:
- "My brother can cook very well, but I can only make simple dishes."
- "Yesterday we went to the cinema and saw an interesting film."
- "Ich will Deutsch lernen, weil ich die Sprache liebe."
- "Sie kommt morgen und wir werden zusammen einkaufen gehen."
Key Points to Remember:
- German verbs change their endings based on who is doing the action (conjugation)
- Separable verbs split apart in main clauses - watch for prefixes like "auf", "an", "ein"
- Modal verbs (können, wollen, sollen, mögen) are followed by another verb in the infinitive
- Some verbs require specific cases (accusative or dative) or prepositions - learn these patterns
- Practice using verbs in different tenses to become more confident with German sentence structure