🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What are the Common German Verbs: machen, geben, nehmen?

Machen, geben, and nehmen are three of the most frequent verbs in German. They appear in everyday speech, idioms, and textbooks constantly. Mastering their conjugations is essential.

Short answer

Machen means 'to make/do', geben means 'to give', and nehmen means 'to take'. All three are strong (irregular) verbs and appear frequently in German conversation and writing.

Conjugation of machen, geben, nehmen (Present Tense)

x: Pronoun · y: Verb Form (Frequency %)machengebennehmen

Step-by-step worked examples

Conjugate 'machen' in present tense for all persons.

ich mache (I make)
du machst (you make)
er/sie/es macht (he/she/it makes)
wir machen (we make)
ihr macht (you make)
sie/Sie machen (they/you make)

Conjugate 'geben' in present tense.

ich gebe (I give)
du gibst (you give) — vowel change e→i
er/sie/es gibt (he/she/it gives)
wir geben (we give)
ihr gebt (you give)
sie/Sie geben (they/you give)

Conjugate 'nehmen' in present tense.

ich nehme (I take)
du nimmst (you take) — vowel change e→i
er/sie/es nimmt (he/she/it takes)
wir nehmen (we take)
ihr nehmt (you take)
sie/Sie nehmen (they/you take)

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Conjugate 'machen' for 'er'.

Correct answer: B. Third person singular: er/sie/es macht.

Q2.Conjugate 'geben' for 'du'. (Hint: vowel change)

Correct answer: B. Strong verb geben: e→i vowel change in du and er forms. du gibst.

Q3.What's the vowel change in 'nehmen'?

Correct answer: B. nehmen is strong: e→i in du/er forms. du nimmst, er nimmt.

Q4.Which sentence is correct?

Correct answer: C. First person ich + nehme (no vowel change). The -e ending is used.

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Common mistakes

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Forgetting the vowel change in geben and nehmen. — Correct: geben: ich gebe, du gibst, er gibt. nehmen: ich nehme, du nimmst, er nimmt.

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Using 'machen' as the only verb for 'do/make'. — Correct: Geben and nehmen are equally essential. Learn all three and their specific uses.

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Confusing 'nehmen' (to take) with 'bringen' (to bring). — Correct: nehmen = take (from speaker), bringen = bring (to speaker). Different verbs.

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Not recognizing strong verb patterns. — Correct: All three are strong/irregular. Memorize their present-tense forms by heart.

FAQ

What are machen, geben, nehmen?

Three essential German verbs: machen (to make/do), geben (to give), nehmen (to take). All are strong/irregular.

What is the conjugation of machen?

ich mache, du machst, er/sie/es macht, wir machen, ihr macht, sie/Sie machen.

Which verbs have vowel change e→i in du and er forms?

Geben and nehmen. du gibst/nimmst, er/sie/es gibt/nimmt.

When should I use nehmen vs. bringen?

nehmen = 'to take' (away from reference point), bringen = 'to bring' (toward reference point).