German Verb Conjugation Trainer (Present, Präteritum, Perfekt)
Mastering German verb conjugation is essential: the verb is the heart of every German sentence. This trainer covers 54 of the most important verbs for A1 and A2, including sein, haben, the modal verbs, separable verbs like anrufen and aufstehen, and common irregular verbs.
Choose a mode: drill the present tense, practise the simple past (Präteritum) and present perfect (Perfekt), or look up any verb in the table. Use the ä, ö, ü and ß buttons if your keyboard does not have them.
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Present Tense Endings in German
Regular verbs follow one simple pattern. Take the stem (the infinitive without -en) and add these endings:
| Person | Ending | lernen | arbeiten |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | lerne | arbeite |
| du | -st | lernst | arbeitest |
| er / sie / es | -t | lernt | arbeitet |
| wir | -en | lernen | arbeiten |
| ihr | -t | lernt | arbeitet |
| sie / Sie | -en | lernen | arbeiten |
Verbs whose stem ends in -t or -d (arbeiten, finden) add an extra -e- in the du, er and ihr forms. Many irregular verbs change their vowel in the du and er forms: fahren → du fährst, sprechen → du sprichst, sehen → du siehst.
Perfekt: haben or sein?
Most verbs form the Perfekt with haben: ich habe gelernt. Verbs that describe movement from one place to another or a change of state use sein: ich bin gefahren, er ist gekommen, sie ist eingeschlafen. Also sein, bleiben and werden take sein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German verbs should I learn first?
Start with sein, haben, werden, the six modal verbs and everyday verbs like gehen, kommen, machen, essen and wohnen. All of them are in this trainer.
Do I need the Präteritum at A1?
In spoken German you mostly use the Perfekt. At A1 and A2 you need the Präteritum mainly for sein, haben and the modal verbs (war, hatte, konnte). It becomes more important for reading at B1.
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