German verbs are perhaps the most complex topic in all of German grammar. However, since learning the grammar rules is one of the fastest ways to improve your ability to speak German, you should be eager to get involved and learn how to use them! Adding action to your sentences (and using the correct tense) will allow you to speak good German very quickly. So let’s take a look at the essential element of German verbs.

the infinitive form of a verb

In English, the infinitive form of a verb is the base form of a verb preceded by ‘to’. For example, ‘walk’, ‘sleep’, etc. In German, this is the form you’ll find in the dictionary. Most infinitive German verbs end in -en. For example, ‘encontrar’, which means ‘to find’.

German verb endings

German verbs have many more forms than the infinitive form, and these forms are made up of several endings added to a root. The root is based on the infinitive form, although it can vary. Verb endings change depending on who or what is doing the action and whether you are referring to the past, present, or future.

Weak, strong and mixed verbs

To determine verb endings, you need to know if the verb is weak, strong, or mixed. Weak verbs (also known as regular verbs) change form following a set pattern. Strong and irregular verbs change according to different patterns, while mixed verbs follow a combination of the patterns used for weak and strong verbs.

Verbs and the “Doer”

As mentioned, German verb endings change depending on who or what is performing the action. English verbs do this to some degree by adding an -s when talking about he, she, or it. For example… ‘I/you/we see a dog’… but ‘he/she/it sees a dog’. In German, this is more pronounced. Let’s take an example using the verb ‘finden’ (to find)…

• I find–‘ich finde’
• You find–‘du findest’ (here ‘you’ is for familiar/informal situations)
• he/she/it finds–‘er/sie/es findet’
• We found–‘wir finden’
• You find–‘ihr findet’ (here ‘you’ is a familiar plural, as in ‘you’)
• You find–‘Sie finden’ (this is for formal ‘you’, singular and plural.)
• They find–‘sie finden’

Verbal tense

The tenses in German do not exactly correlate to the tenses in English, so you will need to learn each of them and take some time to think about which tense is the correct one to use. The main times are:

• Present time–This is used to describe what is happening now. It is also used to talk about things that happen regularly (such as habits) and something that will happen in the very near future.
• Perfect time–This is used to talk about things that happened in the past, usually a one-time action.
• imperfect tense–This is also used to talk about things that happened in the past, but in this case it is used for things that happened, repeated actions and to describe how things were.
• Future time–As the name suggests, this is used to talk about something that will happen in the future.
• the conditional–The tense is used if you want to talk about something that would happen if certain conditions were met.
• pluperfect tense–This tense is used when talking about a moment in the past, about something that has already happened.
• the subjunctive–This form is used to express uncertainty or speculation. The subjunctive can be used in the present and pluperfect tense.

If we take our ‘finden’ example, using the first person singular (ich), the verb will change as follows:

• Present tense – ‘ich finde’
• Present Subjunctive – ‘ich finde’
• Perfect tense – ‘ich habe gefunden’
• imperfect tense – ‘ich fand’
• Future tense – ‘ich werde finden’
• Conditional–‘ich wurde finden’
• Plucuamperfect–‘ich hatte gefunden’
• Pluperfect Subjunctive – ‘ich hatte gefunden’

* The u in wurde contains umlauts (colon over the letter) in this example.

** the a in the hat contains umlauts in this example.

Other verbs

Other verbs you will need to learn include:

• Reflexive verbs–It is used when the subject and the object are the same (eg, I washed).
• imperative verbs–The form of the verb used when giving instructions (eg, listen!).
• Passive voice–This is the form you use when the subject of the reward is not the “doer”, but is affected by the action (eg ‘I was pushed’).

As you can see, German verbs are quite a complex topic with many moving parts. As always, the best idea is to go step by step. Focus your attention on the one aspect you are working on and learn it well before proceeding. With this overview of German verbs, you now know the basics and can use it as a guide to work through the details. Very soon, you will be able to form German verbs in any situation and this will take your German skills to wonderful new levels! Have fun and enjoy speaking German!