Conjugating Weak Verbs
Some Terms | Infinitive | Verb Stem | Past Participle | What Verbs Do | Simple Tense | Compound Tense | Present Tense | Simple Past Tense | Perfect Tense | Future Tense | Conditional Tense | Pluperfect Tense
This section focuses on the conjugation of the weak verb. In German as in English there are weak, strong, and irregular verbs. The conjugation of a verb is how you make it fit the subject. In English the verb to run would be said I run, He runs. As you can see the verb changes which is what conjugation is.
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| First of all we must get aquainted with some terms:
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The form that you find in a dictionary is the infinitive. In English this appears with to infront of it:
kaufen - to buy
füllen - to fill
The infinitive usually ends in -en but can also end in -eln, -ieren and -ern:
lächeln - to smile
studieren - to study
flüstern - to whisper
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Another term is the stem of the verb which comes before the infinitive ending. Other endings are added to this to form other parts of speech:
kaufen
füllen
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The past participle is formed by adding a ge- prefix and an -(e)t suffix to the stem of the verb:
Examples: gelebt, gekauft, gewartet, geredet.
Note: Verb stems ending in -d, -t, -chn, -ckn, -dn, -fn, -gn, or -tm keep an e between the stem and the t ending:
gewartet
geredet
Verbs ending in -ieren do not get a ge- prefix:
studiert
probiert
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| Verbs indicate what is happening by who or what, and also when - present, past or future, and sometimes if something might happen, ex: I should die if that happened to me. All of these endings are tenses. There are two kinds of tenses:
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| Simple Tenses: the verb is only one word: I fill, I filled
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| Compound Tenses: need an additional verb which is called an auxiliary verb which can also function on its own: I have filled, I had filled
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Present Tense: (I live, you live, etc...)
To form the present tense endings are added onto the verb stem:
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leben - to live
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warten - to wait
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ich
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lebe
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I live
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ich
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warte
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I wait
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du
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lebst
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you live
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du
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wartest
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you wait
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er/sie/es
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lebt
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he/she/it lives
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er/sie/es
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wartet
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he/she/it waits
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wir
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leben
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we live
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wir
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warten
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we wait
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ihr
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lebt
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you live
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ihr
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wartet
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you wait
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sie
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leben
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they live
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sie
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warten
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they wait
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Sie
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leben
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you live
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Sie
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warten
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you wait
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Verb stems ending in -d, -t, -chn, -ckn, -dn, -fn, -gn, or -tm keep the e in the third person singular and second person plural and singular. See warten as an example.
Unlike English there is only one form of present tense. I live and I am living would both be Ich lebe.
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Simple Past Tense: (I lived, you lived, etc...)
This form is also known as the imperfect tense. This one is formed by adding a t to the present tense:
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leben - to live
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warten - to wait
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ich
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lebte
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I lived
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ich
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wartete
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I waited
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du
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lebtest
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you lived
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du
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wartetest
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you waited
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er/sie/es
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lebte
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he/she/it lived
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er/sie/es
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wartete
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he/she/it waited
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wir
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lebten
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we lived
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wir
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warteten
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we waited
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ihr
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lebtet
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you lived
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ihr
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wartetet
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you waited
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sie
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lebten
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they lived
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sie
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warteten
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they waited
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Sie
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lebten
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you lived
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Sie
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warteten
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you waited
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This is not only used to describe completed actions but also continuing or unfinished actions:
Ich wartete schon, als sie kam. - I was already waiting when she came.
It corresponds with a number of English equivalents. Note how the one German sentence has four English equivalents:
Das Kind spielte, während seine Eltern redeten. - The child played while his parents talked./ The child played while his parents were talking./ The child was playing while his parents talked./ The child was playing while his parents were talking.
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Perfect Tense: (I have lived, you have lived, etc...)
This tense is formed by using the present tense of haben as an auxilliary verb and the past participle of the verb:
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leben - to live
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warten - to wait
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ich
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habe gelebt
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I have lived
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ich
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habe gewartet
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I have waited
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du
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hast gelebt
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you have lived
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du
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hast gewartet
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you have waited
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er/sie/es
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hat gelebt
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he/she/it has lived
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er/sie/es
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hat gewartet
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he/she/it has waited
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wir
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haben gelebt
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we have lived
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wir
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haben gewartet
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we have waited
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ihr
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habt gelebt
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you have lived
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ihr
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habt gewartet
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you have waited
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sie
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haben gelebt
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they have lived
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sie
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haben gewartet
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they have waited
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Sie
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haben gelebt
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you have lived
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Sie
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haben gewartet
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you have waited
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In a sentence with a perfect the tense the past participle is sent to the end of the sentence or clause.
Ich habe es ihr gestern abend gesagt. - I told her so yesterday evening.
Ich habe Ihnen das Buch letzte Woche geschickt. - I sent you the book last week.
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Future Tense: (I shall live, you will live, etc...)
This form uses the present tense of werden as an auxilliary verb with the infinitive:
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leben - to live
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warten - to wait
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ich
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werde leben
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I shall live
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ich
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werde warten
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I shall wait
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du
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wirst leben
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you will live
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du
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wirst warten
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you will wait
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er/sie/es
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wird leben
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he/she/it will live
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er/sie/es
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wird warten
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he/she/it will wait
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wir
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werden leben
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we shall live
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wir
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werden warten
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we shall wait
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ihr
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werdet leben
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you will live
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ihr
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werdet warten
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you will wait
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sie
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werden leben
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they will live
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sie
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werden warten
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they will wait
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Sie
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werden leben
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you will wait
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Sie
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werden warten
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you will wait
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The infinitive goes to the end of the sentence:
Ich werde dich morgen sehen. - I shall see you tomorrow.
Although it is worth noting that German often renders a future meaning with a present form:
Ich rufe dich gleich wieder. - I'll ring/call you right back.
Ich bin um 2 Uhr wieder da. - I'll be back at two.
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Conditional Tense: (I should live, you would live, etc...)
This form uses another tense of werden as an auxiliary verb with the infinitive:
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leben - to live
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warten - to wait
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ich
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würde leben
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I should live
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ich
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würde warten
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I should wait
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du
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würdest leben
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you would live
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du
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würdest warten
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you would wait
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er/sie/es
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würdet leben
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he/she/it would live
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er/sie/es
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würdet warten
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he/she/it would wait
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wir
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würden leben
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we should live
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wir
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würden warten
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we should wait
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ihr
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würdet leben
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you would live
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ihr
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würdet warten
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you would wait
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sie
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würden leben
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they would live
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sie
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würden warten
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they would wait
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Sie
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würden leben
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you would wait
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Sie
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würden warten
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you would wait
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Again as with the perfect and future the infinitive goes to the end of the sentence:
Ich würde lieber zu Hause bleiben. - I should rather stay at home.
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Pluperfect Tense: (I had lived, you had lived, etc...)
This form uses the simple past of the verb haben as an auxiliary verb with the past participle:
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leben - to live
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warten - to wait
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ich
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hatte gelebt
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I had lived
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ich
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hatte gewartet
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I had waited
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du
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hattest gelebt
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you had lived
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du
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hattest gewartet
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you had waited
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er/sie/es
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hatte gelebt
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he/she/it had lived
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er/sie/es
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hatte gewartet
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he/she/it had waited
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wir
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hatten gelebt
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we had lived
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wir
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hatten gewartet
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we had waited
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ihr
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hattet gelebt
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you had lived
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ihr
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hattet gewartet
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you had waited
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sie
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hatten gelebt
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they had lived
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sie
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hatten gewartet
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they had waited
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Sie
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hatten gelebt
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you had lived
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Sie
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hatten gewartet
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you had waited
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The pluperfect is used to describe an action that is completed before another action has begun:
Ich hatte schon hunderte von Briefmarken gekauft, als er mir seine Sammlung schenkte. - I had already bought hundreds of stamps when he presented me with his collection.
Er hatte die Arbeit gemacht, aber der Alte hat nie bezahlt. - He had done the work, but the old man never paid.
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