🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What Is the German Present Simple Tense for Regular Verbs?

The German present simple tense (Präsens) is the most common tense used to describe actions happening now or habitual actions. Regular verbs in German follow consistent conjugation patterns — you remove the infinitive ending -en and add a specific ending for each person and number.

Short answer

The German present simple tense conjugates regular verbs by removing -en from the infinitive and adding endings: ich -e, du -st, er/sie/es -t, wir -en, ihr -t, sie/Sie -en. For example: ich mache, du machst, er macht.

Regular Verb Conjugation in Present Tense

1
1. Take the infinitive
e.g., 'machen' (to make)
↓
2
2. Remove -en ending
'mach'
↓
3
3. Add personal ending
ich -e, du -st, er/sie/es -t, wir -en, ihr -t, sie/Sie -en
↓
4
4. Complete conjugation
ich mache, du machst, er macht, wir machen, ihr macht, sie machen

Step-by-step worked examples

Conjugate 'kaufen' (to buy) in the present tense.

Infinitive: kaufen
Remove -en: kauf
Add endings:
ich kaufe, du kaufst, er/sie/es kauft, wir kaufen, ihr kauft, sie/Sie kaufen

Conjugate 'lernen' (to learn) for 'ich' and 'sie/Sie'.

Infinitive: lernen
Remove -en: lern
ich lerne (add -e)
sie/Sie lernen (add -en)

What is the du form of 'arbeiten' (to work)?

Infinitive: arbeiten
Remove -en: arbeit
du form: arbeit + -st = arbeitest
(Note: -st becomes -est after t/d stems)

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.How do you conjugate a regular German verb in present tense?

Correct answer: B. Remove the infinitive -en and add person-specific endings (ich -e, du -st, etc.).

Q2.What is the 'du' form of 'sagen' (to say)?

Correct answer: C. du + -st = sagst

Q3.How does 'arbeiten' change for 'er'?

Correct answer: A. After t-stems, add -et: arbeit + -et = arbeitet

Q4.What ending do 'wir' and 'ihr' NOT share?

Correct answer: B. wir kaufen, ihr kauft — different endings

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Common mistakes

✗

Forgetting to remove -en before adding personal endings — Correct: Always remove -en: 'machen' → 'mach' + 'e' = 'mache'

✗

Using the same ending for all persons — Correct: Each person has a unique ending: ich -e, du -st, er -t, wir -en, ihr -t

✗

Adding -st to du form after t or d stems — Correct: Add -est instead: arbeiten → arbeittest, finden → findest

✗

Conjugating 'Sie' (formal) differently from 'sie' (plural) — Correct: Both take -en: sie gehen, Sie gehen (same form, different meaning)

FAQ

What is the German present simple tense?

Präsens is used to describe actions happening now or habitual actions. Regular verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns.

How do you conjugate regular verbs in German present tense?

Remove -en from the infinitive and add personal endings: -e (ich), -st (du), -t (er/sie/es), -en (wir/sie/Sie), -t (ihr).

What is special about verbs ending in -t or -d?

The du and er/sie/es forms add -est instead of -st/-t for pronunciation: arbeiten → arbeitest, arbeitet.

Is the formal 'Sie' conjugation the same as the plural 'sie'?

Yes, both use the same -en ending: sie gehen, Sie gehen (grammatically identical but different politeness level).