Irregular Verbs in German
Irregular Verbs in German., known as “unregelmäßige Verben” or “starke Verben,” change their stem vowels in different tenses, unlike regular verbs. Below is a table listing some common irregular verbs in German, along with their translations into English. The table shows the infinitive form, the simple past (Präteritum), and the past participle (Partizip Perfekt) forms.
| German Infinitive (Infinitiv) | Simple Past (Präteritum) | Past Participle (Partizip Perfekt) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| sein (to be) | war | gewesen | be |
| haben (to have) | hatte | gehabt | have |
| werden (to become) | wurde | geworden | become |
| gehen (to go) | ging | gegangen | go |
| kommen (to come) | kam | gekommen | come |
| sehen (to see) | sah | gesehen | see |
| bleiben (to stay) | blieb | geblieben | stay |
| schreiben (to write) | schrieb | geschrieben | write |
| lesen (to read) | las | gelesen | read |
| essen (to eat) | aß | gegessen | eat |
| trinken (to drink) | trank | getrunken | drink |
| sprechen (to speak) | sprach | gesprochen | speak |
| nehmen (to take) | nahm | genommen | take |
| finden (to find) | fand | gefunden | find |
| geben (to give) | gab | gegeben | give |
| fahren (to drive, travel) | fuhr | gefahren | drive, travel |
| schlafen (to sleep) | schlief | geschlafen | sleep |
| wissen (to know) | wusste | gewusst | know |
These verbs are essential for anyone learning German, as they are commonly used in everyday conversation and writing. Understanding their conjugations, especially in the past tenses, is crucial for effective communication in German.
Examples
Here’s a table providing examples of sentences using some common irregular verbs in German, along with their English translations. This will illustrate how these verbs are used in context:
| German Verb (Infinitive) | German Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| sein (to be) | Ich bin müde. | I am tired. |
| haben (to have) | Er hat einen Hund. | He has a dog. |
| werden (to become) | Sie wird Ärztin. | She becomes a doctor. |
| gehen (to go) | Wir gehen ins Kino. | We go to the cinema. |
| kommen (to come) | Er kommt spät nach Hause. | He comes home late. |
| sehen (to see) | Ich sehe einen Vogel. | I see a bird. |
| bleiben (to stay) | Sie bleibt heute zu Hause. | She stays at home today. |
| schreiben (to write) | Er schreibt einen Brief. | He writes a letter. |
| lesen (to read) | Ich lese ein Buch. | I read a book. |
| essen (to eat) | Wir essen Pizza. | We eat pizza. |
| trinken (to drink) | Sie trinkt Wasser. | She drinks water. |
| sprechen (to speak) | Er spricht Deutsch und Englisch. | He speaks German and English. |
| nehmen (to take) | Ich nehme den Bus zur Arbeit. | I take the bus to work. |
| finden (to find) | Sie findet ihren Schlüssel nicht. | She can’t find her key. |
| geben (to give) | Er gibt ihr ein Geschenk. | He gives her a gift. |
| fahren (to drive) | Wir fahren nach Berlin. | We drive to Berlin. |
| schlafen (to sleep) | Sie schläft acht Stunden. | She sleeps eight hours. |
| wissen (to know) | Ich weiß die Antwort. | I know the answer. |
These examples show the versatility and frequency of usage of irregular verbs in everyday German. They are fundamental in forming a wide range of sentences and expressing various actions and states.
Sentences
Certainly! Here’s a table with sentences using some common irregular verbs in German, along with their English translations. This table will help illustrate how these verbs are used in different contexts:
| German Verb (Infinitive) | German Example Sentence | English Translation of the Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| sein (to be) | Ich bin oft müde. | I am often tired. |
| haben (to have) | Sie hat viele Freunde. | She has many friends. |
| werden (to become) | Er wird Arzt. | He becomes a doctor. |
| gehen (to go) | Wir gehen ins Kino. | We are going to the cinema. |
| kommen (to come) | Die Gäste kommen um acht. | The guests are coming at eight. |
| sehen (to see) | Ich sehe den Mond. | I see the moon. |
| bleiben (to stay) | Sie bleibt heute zu Hause. | She is staying at home today. |
| schreiben (to write) | Er schreibt einen Roman. | He is writing a novel. |
| lesen (to read) | Ich lese gerade ein interessantes Buch. | I am currently reading an interesting book. |
| essen (to eat) | Wir essen heute Abend Spaghetti. | We are eating spaghetti tonight. |
| trinken (to drink) | Er trinkt gerne Kaffee. | He likes to drink coffee. |
| sprechen (to speak) | Sie spricht fließend Spanisch. | She speaks Spanish fluently. |
| nehmen (to take) | Ich nehme meinen Schirm mit. | I am taking my umbrella with me. |
| finden (to find) | Sie findet den Schlüssel nicht. | She can’t find the key. |
| geben (to give) | Er gibt ihr einen Rat. | He gives her a piece of advice. |
| fahren (to drive, travel) | Wir fahren morgen nach Hamburg. | We are traveling to Hamburg tomorrow. |
| schlafen (to sleep) | Sie schläft bis spät in den Morgen. | She sleeps until late in the morning. |
| wissen (to know) | Ich weiß nicht, wo er ist. | I don’t know where he is. |
These sentences showcase the application of German irregular verbs in everyday language, providing an understanding of their use and conjugation in different contexts.
Phrases
Here’s a table with phrases using common irregular verbs in German, along with their English translations. These phrases will give you an idea of how these verbs are commonly used:
| German Verb (Infinitive) | German Phrase | English Translation of the Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| sein (to be) | Das kann nicht sein. | That can’t be. |
| haben (to have) | Wir haben Glück. | We are lucky. |
| werden (to become) | Es wird kalt. | It is getting cold. |
| gehen (to go) | Lass uns spazieren gehen. | Let’s go for a walk. |
| kommen (to come) | Wann kommst du zurück? | When are you coming back? |
| sehen (to see) | Ich kann dich nicht sehen. | I can’t see you. |
| bleiben (to stay) | Bleib ruhig! | Stay calm! |
| schreiben (to write) | Ich schreibe dir morgen. | I’ll write to you tomorrow. |
| lesen (to read) | Kannst du das lesen? | Can you read this? |
| essen (to eat) | Wir essen draußen. | We are eating outside. |
| trinken (to drink) | Sie trinkt keinen Alkohol. | She doesn’t drink alcohol. |
| sprechen (to speak) | Wir sprechen später darüber. | We’ll talk about it later. |
| nehmen (to take) | Nimm dir Zeit. | Take your time. |
| finden (to find) | Ich finde das interessant. | I find that interesting. |
| geben (to give) | Kannst du mir das geben? | Can you give me that? |
| fahren (to drive, travel) | Sie fährt nach Berlin. | She is traveling to Berlin. |
| schlafen (to sleep) | Ich kann nicht schlafen. | I can’t sleep. |
| wissen (to know) | Ich möchte wissen, warum. | I want to know why. |
These phrases are typical examples of how irregular verbs are used in various contexts in German, providing a glimpse into their practical application in everyday language.
