AÜM: Basic Steps to Conjugating a Verb
Basic Steps to Conjugating a Verb
Once again, the infinitive form (original form) of the regular verbs in German always ends with a -en. Before you add any endings, drop the final -en. What you are left with is called the stem or root. Just add the corresponding German endings. Let's look at the verb schwimmen (to swim). Let's create a simple sentence like I swim.
Steps to Conjugating schwimmen
Drop the final -en in schwimmen to obtain the stem:
- schwimmen - en =
- schwimm-
schwimmen - to swim | ||
Person | Singular | Plural |
1st Person - I, We |
|
|
2nd Person - You (singular and plural) |
|
|
3rd Person - He, she, it, they |
|
|
*Sie schwimmen is also the 2nd person (singular and plural) formal form = You (formal) swim.
Exceptions: -d or -t
If the verb stem ends in a -d or -t, the endings -st and -t expand to -est and -et.
- arbeiten (to work) -
- du arbeitest
- er/sie/es arbeitet
- warten (to wait) -
- du wartest
- er/sie/es wartet
Exceptions: -s, -ss, -ß or -z
If the verb stem ends in a (s, ss, ß, z), the -st contracts to -t.
- heißen (to be called) -
- du heißt
[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION