Regular Verb (present) in German
Regular Verb (present) in German.In German, regular verbs follow a consistent pattern in their conjugation in the present tense. Here’s a table showing the conjugation of a regular German verb in the present tense, along with its English translation. The example verb I’ll use is “machen” (to do/make).
| Person | German Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ich (I) | ich mache | I do/make |
| du (you singular) | du machst | you do/make |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | er/sie/es macht | he/she/it does/makes |
| wir (we) | wir machen | we do/make |
| ihr (you plural) | ihr macht | you (all) do/make |
| sie/Sie (they/you formal) | sie/Sie machen | they/you do/make |
- ich mache: First person singular. The ending “-e” is added to the stem “mach”.
- du machst: Second person singular. The ending “-st” is added to the stem.
- er/sie/es macht: Third person singular. The ending “-t” is added to the stem.
- wir machen: First person plural. The verb returns to its base form, similar to the infinitive.
- ihr macht: Second person plural. The ending “-t” is added to the stem.
- sie/Sie machen: Third person plural and formal “you” (singular and plural). The verb is the same as the infinitive form.
This pattern of conjugation applies to most regular verbs in German. Remember, the infinitive form of the verb is used as the stem for conjugation. For example, for “spielen” (to play), it would be “ich spiele”, “du spielst”, “er/sie/es spielt”, and so on.
Examples
Certainly! Here’s a table showing examples of regular verbs in the present tense in German, along with their English translations. This table demonstrates how these verbs are conjugated according to the subject. I’ll use three different regular verbs for variety: “spielen” (to play), “lernen” (to learn), and “wohnen” (to live).
| German Verb Conjugation | “spielen” Example | “lernen” Example | “wohnen” Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich (I) | ich spiele | ich lerne | ich wohne | I play/learn/live |
| du (you singular) | du spielst | du lernst | du wohnst | you play/learn/live |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | er/sie/es spielt | er/sie/es lernt | er/sie/es wohnt | he/she/it plays/learns/lives |
| wir (we) | wir spielen | wir lernen | wir wohnen | we play/learn/live |
| ihr (you plural) | ihr spielt | ihr lernt | ihr wohnt | you (all) play/learn/live |
| sie/Sie (they/you formal) | sie/Sie spielen | sie/Sie lernen | sie/Sie wohnen | they/you play/learn/live |
- For “spielen” (to play), “lernen” (to learn), and “wohnen” (to live), the verb endings change according to the subject pronoun.
- The pattern of endings (-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en) is consistent across these regular verbs.
- This table provides a clear representation of how regular verbs are conjugated in the present tense in German.
Sentences
Certainly! Here’s a table with sentences using regular verbs in the present tense in German, along with their English translations. These sentences demonstrate how these verbs are used in context.
| German Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich spiele jeden Tag Fußball. | I play soccer every day. |
| Du lernst Deutsch. | You are learning German. |
| Er kocht gerne. | He likes to cook. |
| Sie malt ein Bild. | She is painting a picture. |
| Wir reisen im Sommer nach Italien. | We travel to Italy in the summer. |
| Ihr arbeitet in Berlin. | You (all) work in Berlin. |
| Sie singen ein Lied. | They are singing a song. |
| Sie (formal) benutzen den Computer. | You (formal) are using the computer. |
- “Ich spiele” (I play) demonstrates the first person singular form.
- “Du lernst” (you learn) is in the second person singular.
- “Er kocht” (he cooks) and “Sie malt” (she paints) are third person singular forms.
- “Wir reisen” (we travel) shows first person plural.
- “Ihr arbeitet” (you all work) is second person plural.
- “Sie singen” (they sing) is third person plural, and it’s also the formal “you” as in “Sie benutzen” (you use).
Each sentence illustrates a different subject paired with a regular verb in the present tense, showing how the verb conjugation changes depending on the subject.
Phrases
Of course! Here’s a table with phrases using regular verbs in the present tense in German, along with their English translations. These phrases showcase how regular verbs are used in various contexts.
| German Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich lese ein Buch. | I am reading a book. |
| Du trinkst Kaffee. | You are drinking coffee. |
| Er schreibt einen Brief. | He is writing a letter. |
| Sie kauft ein neues Auto. | She is buying a new car. |
| Wir spielen Tennis. | We play tennis. |
| Ihr lernt Englisch. | You (all) are learning English. |
| Sie machen Urlaub in Spanien. | They are vacationing in Spain. |
| Sie (formal) sprechen sehr gut Deutsch. | You (formal) speak German very well. |
- “Ich lese” (I read) uses the first person singular form.
- “Du trinkst” (you drink) is in the second person singular.
- “Er schreibt” (he writes) and “Sie kauft” (she buys) are in third person singular.
- “Wir spielen” (we play) is the first person plural form.
- “Ihr lernt” (you all learn) is second person plural.
- “Sie machen” (they make/do) is third person plural, and is also used for the formal “you” as in “Sie sprechen” (you speak).
These phrases provide a clear understanding of how regular verbs are conjugated and used in present tense sentences in German.
Comprison
To demonstrate the differences between regular verbs in the present tense and irregular verbs in the past tense in German, I’ll provide a comparison table. This table will include examples of both verb types, showing how they are conjugated and translated into English.
| Verb Type | German Verb | German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Verb (Present) | spielen (to play) | Ich spiele Fußball. | I play soccer. |
| Irregular Verb (Past) | gehen (to go) | Ich ging in den Park. | I went to the park. |
| Regular Verb (Present) | lernen (to learn) | Du lernst Deutsch. | You are learning German. |
| Irregular Verb (Past) | sehen (to see) | Du sahst den Film. | You saw the movie. |
| Regular Verb (Present) | machen (to make/do) | Er macht seine Hausaufgaben. | He does his homework. |
| Irregular Verb (Past) | kommen (to come) | Er kam zu spät. | He came too late. |
- Regular Verbs (Present): Regular verbs, like “spielen,” “lernen,” and “machen,” follow a predictable pattern of conjugation in the present tense.
- Irregular Verbs (Past): Irregular verbs, such as “gehen,” “sehen,” and “kommen,” do not follow a predictable pattern in the past tense and often involve a change in the verb stem or vowel.
This comparison shows the straightforward conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense, contrasting with the more complex and less predictable conjugation of irregular verbs in the past tense in German.
