Conjugation of Verbs (Junior Cert German): Revision Notes
Conjugation of Verbs
Overview
The present tense in German describes what is happening now, regular activities, and general facts. Unlike English, German verbs change their endings for each person (I, you, he/she/it, we, you plural, they). This process is called conjugation.
Every German verb has a stem (Wortstamm) and an ending. The stem is what remains when you remove the -en ending from the infinitive. For example, the verb gehen (to go) has the stem geh-.
Formula for finding the stem: Stem = Infinitive - "en" ending Example: gehen → geh-
Rules & formation
German verbs fall into three main groups based on how they behave when conjugated:
The Three Groups of German Verbs:
Group A: Regular verbs that follow predictable patterns
Group B: Semi-regular verbs that follow the basic pattern but need small spelling adjustments
Group C: Irregular verbs that don't follow standard patterns and must be memorised
Group A - Regular verbs
Most German verbs belong to this group and follow a simple pattern. You take the stem and add the appropriate personal ending.
The pattern is: stem + personal ending
| Person | Ending | Example with gehen (to go) |
|---|---|---|
| ich (I) | -e | ich gehe (I go) |
| du (you informal) | -st | du gehst (you go) |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | -t | er/sie/es geht (he/she/it goes) |
| wir (we) | -en | wir gehen (we go) |
| ihr (you plural) | -t | ihr geht (you go) |
| sie (they) | -en | sie gehen (they go) |
Notice that wir and sie use the same form as the infinitive.
Memory aid: Remember the pattern "ich-e, du-st, er/sie/es-t" - this is the foundation of German verb conjugation!
Group B - Semi-regular verbs with spelling adjustments
These verbs follow the basic pattern but need small changes to make pronunciation easier. There are four main types of adjustments:
1. Extra 'e' for difficult consonant clusters
When the stem ends in -t, -d, -chn, -dn, -fn, -gn, or -tm, add an extra -e before the ending for du, er/sie/es, and ihr.
| Person | arbeiten (to work) |
|---|---|
| ich | arbeite |
| du | arbeitest |
| er/sie/es | arbeitet |
| wir | arbeiten |
| ihr | arbeitet |
| sie | arbeiten |
2. Just 't' instead of 'st' for 'du'
When the stem ends in -s, -ss, -ß, -x, or -z, the du form only adds -t instead of -st.
| Person | tanzen (to dance) |
|---|---|
| ich | tanze |
| du | tanzt |
| er/sie/es | tanzt |
| wir | tanzen |
| ihr | tanzt |
| sie | tanzen |
3. Drop 'e' in '-eln' verbs
For verbs ending in -eln, drop the e before l in the ich form.
| Person | lächeln (to smile) |
|---|---|
| ich | lächle |
| du | lächelst |
| er/sie/es | lächelt |
| wir | lächeln |
| ihr | lächelt |
| sie | lächeln |
4. Vowel changes in stem
Some verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms:
- a becomes ä: schlafen → du schläfst, er schläft
- e becomes ie: sehen → du siehst, er sieht
- e becomes i: geben → du gibst, er gibt
Critical rule: Vowel changes only happen in the du and er/sie/es forms - never in the other forms!
Group C - Irregular verbs
These verbs don't follow standard patterns and must be learned individually. The most important ones include:
Auxiliary verbs (helping verbs): sein (to be), haben (to have), werden (to become)
Modal verbs: wollen (to want), können (can), müssen (must), sollen (should), dürfen (may), mögen (to like)
Memorization required: Group C verbs are completely irregular and cannot be predicted from patterns. You must learn each conjugation by heart!
Tables of key forms
Key irregular verbs
| Infinitive | ich | du | er/sie/es | wir | ihr | sie | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sein | bin | bist | ist | sind | seid | sind | be |
| haben | habe | hast | hat | haben | habt | haben | have |
| werden | werde | wirst | wird | werden | werdet | werden | become |
| wollen | will | willst | will | wollen | wollt | wollen | want |
| können | kann | kannst | kann | können | könnt | können | can |
| müssen | muss | musst | muss | müssen | müsst | müssen | must |
| sollen | soll | sollst | soll | sollen | sollt | sollen | should |
| dürfen | darf | darfst | darf | dürfen | dürft | dürfen | may |
| mögen | mag | magst | mag | mögen | mögt | mögen | like |
| wissen | weiß | weißt | weiß | wissen | wisst | wissen | know |
Example sentences
Worked Example: Group A verbs in context
- Ich lerne Deutsch. (I learn German.) - Using regular pattern with lernen
- Du machst Hausaufgaben. (You do homework.) - Regular du form with machen
- Wir kommen später. (We come later.) - wir uses infinitive form
Worked Example: Group B verbs in context
- Ich arbeite im Büro. (I work in the office.) - Extra e added before ending
- Du tanzt sehr gut. (You dance very well.) - Only t ending due to stem ending in z
- Er gibt mir ein Buch. (He gives me a book.) - Vowel change from e to i
Worked Example: Group C verbs in context
- Ich bin Student. (I am a student.) - Irregular form of sein
- Du hast einen Hund. (You have a dog.) - Irregular form of haben
- Sie kann Deutsch sprechen. (She can speak German.) - Modal verb können
Common mistakes & tips
Mistake 1: Forgetting vowel changes
Many students forget that some verbs change their stem vowel in du and er/sie/es forms. Remember common ones like fahren → fährst, nehmen → nimmst.
Mistake 2: Wrong endings with difficult stems
Don't forget to add the extra -e when the stem ends in -t or -d. Du arbeitest, not du arbeitst.
Mistake 3: Confusing modal verbs
Modal verbs have unusual patterns. Notice that ich and er/sie/es often have the same form: ich kann, er kann.
Mistake 4: Using English logic
German doesn't use helping verbs like English "do/does". Do you speak German? becomes Sprichst du Deutsch? (not Tust du sprechen Deutsch?)
Tips for success:
- Learn the most common irregular verbs by heart first
- Practice the basic pattern (ich-e, du-st, er/sie/es-t) until automatic
- Pay attention to stem spelling when adding endings
- Remember that wir and sie (they) always use the infinitive form
Key Points to Remember:
- German verbs change endings for each person - this is called conjugation
- Group A verbs follow regular patterns: stem + personal ending
- Group B verbs need small spelling adjustments for pronunciation
- Group C irregular verbs (sein, haben, modal verbs) must be memorised completely
- Always check if the stem needs vowel changes in du/er/sie/es forms