Lesson 4 - Verbs in the Present Tense
Now that you know the German subject pronouns, you're ready to learn about verbs.
In German, the verb must agree with the subject pronoun preceding it (grammatically speaking, that is, in person and number), that is called 'verb conjugation'. Thus, German has more endings for verbs than in English.
Verb Conjugation
To conjugate a verb, you simply take its stem and then add the required ending. The stem is the form of the infinitive without -en or -n. Table of endings & example verbs shown below:
| Pronoun | Verb Ending | kommen | hören |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | komme | höre |
| du | -st | kommst | hörst |
| er / sie / es | -t | kommt | hört |
| wir | -en | kommen | hören |
| ihr | -t | kommt | hört |
| sie | -en | kommen | hören |
| Sie | -en | kommen | hören |
In German, there is only one present tense, which corresponds both to the simple and to the continuous present:
- Ich trinke Wasser - I drink water or I am drinking water
- Sie kommt hier - She comes here or She is coming here
To end this lesson, here are a few examples:
| Pronoun | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ich | ich lerne Deutsch | I am learning German |
| du | du spielst gut | You are playing good |
| er / sie / es | Sie kocht Spagetti | She is cooking spaghetti |
| wir | wir bleiben zwei Tage | We are staying two days |
| ihr | ihr singt ein Lied | You are singing a song |
| sie | sie trinken Bier | They are drinking beer |
| Sie | Sie wohnen in Berlin | You are living in Berlin |