Present Simple in German
Present Simple in German. In German, the present simple tense is known as the “Präsens” or “Gegenwart.” It is used to express actions or states that are happening in the present or are generally true. Here’s how you can form and use the present simple tense in German, along with English translations:
Regular verbs
- Ich spiele Fußball. (I play soccer.)
- Du liest ein Buch. (You read a book.)
- Er/sie/es arbeitet hart. (He/she/it works hard.)
- Wir essen Abendessen um 7 Uhr. (We eat dinner at 7 o’clock.)
- Ihr trinkt Wasser. (You drink water.)
- Sie tanzen gern. (They like to dance.)
Irregular verbs
- Ich gehe zur Schule. (I go to school.)
- Du weißt die Antwort. (You know the answer.)
- Er hat einen Hund. (He has a dog.)
- Wir können schwimmen. (We can swim.)
- Ihr sagt die Wahrheit. (You tell the truth.)
- Sie bringen Blumen mit. (They bring flowers.)
Modal verbs
- Ich darf nicht ausgehen. (I am not allowed to go out.)
- Du musst Hausaufgaben machen. (You have to do homework.)
- Er kann gut singen. (He can sing well.)
- Wir sollen pünktlich sein. (We should be on time.)
- Ihr wollt ins Kino gehen. (You want to go to the movies.)
- Sie mögen Schokolade. (They like chocolate.)
Regular and irregular nouns and pronouns
- Der Hund bellt. (The dog barks.)
- Die Katze schläft. (The cat sleeps.)
- Das Kind spielt. (The child plays.)
- Ich arbeite im Büro. (I work in the office.)
- Sie lernt Deutsch. (She learns German.)
Examples
| German Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich esse Frühstück. | I eat breakfast. |
| Du trinkst Kaffee. | You drink coffee. |
| Er/sie/es liest ein Buch. | He/she/it reads a book. |
| Wir gehen spazieren. | We go for a walk. |
| Ihr spielt Fußball. | You play soccer. |
| Sie arbeiten im Büro. | They work in the office. |
| Mein Bruder lebt in Berlin. | My brother lives in Berlin. |
| Die Sonne scheint. | The sun is shining. |
| Das Kind schläft. | The child is sleeping. |
| Sie studieren Medizin. | They study medicine. |
| Ich spreche Englisch. | I speak English. |
Form
To form the present simple tense (Präsens) in German, you need to conjugate the verb according to the subject pronoun. Here’s how you can form the present simple in German with translations to English
Regular Verbs
For regular verbs in German, the conjugation is relatively straightforward. Here’s how you form the present simple tense:
| Subject Pronoun | German Verb (Example) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ich (I) | spiele (spielen) | I play |
| Du (You) | spielst (spielen) | You play |
| Er/Sie/Es (He/She/It) | spielt (spielen) | He/She/It plays |
| Wir (We) | spielen (spielen) | We play |
| Ihr (You, plural) | spielt (spielen) | You play (plural) |
| Sie (They/You formal) | spielen (spielen) | They play/You play (formal) |
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs have unique conjugations. Here are a few examples:
| Subject Pronoun | German Verb (Example) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ich (I) | gehe (gehen) | I go |
| Du (You) | gehst (gehen) | You go |
| Er/Sie/Es (He/She/It) | geht (gehen) | He/She/It goes |
| Wir (We) | gehen (gehen) | We go |
| Ihr (You, plural) | geht (gehen) | You go (plural) |
| Sie (They/You formal) | gehen (gehen) | They go/You go (formal) |
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs have their own set of conjugations and are used differently. Here are a few examples:
| Subject Pronoun | German Verb (Example) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ich (I) | darf (dürfen) | I may/can |
| Du (You) | darfst (dürfen) | You may/can |
| Er/Sie/Es (He/She/It) | darf (dürfen) | He/She/It may/can |
| Wir (We) | dürfen (dürfen) | We may/can |
| Ihr (You, plural) | dürft (dürfen) | You may/can (plural) |
| Sie (They/You formal) | dürfen (dürfen) | They may/can/You may/can (formal) |
These examples show how to form the present simple tense in German for regular, irregular, and modal verbs, along with their English translations. Conjugation patterns may vary, so it’s essential to learn the specific conjugation rules for each verb.
