As you read, listen and speak, collect sentences that contain examples of the verbs. Context helps you remember and makes sure you’ve got the ending right and you’re using the verb in a natural-sounding way. Learn the infinitives by all means but it also helps to learn the verb in an example phrases.

Even strong verbs and the small number of other irregularities also follow patterns that are quickly explained and that you can master with practice. The German verb “endings” are generally regular.

How should you learn the most important German verbs?ĭon’t learn the list below in a set order: mix it up, for example by making flashcards with the German on one side and the English on the other.īesides the infinitive, you need to get the right endings. Just like in English, some German verbs are “strong verbs” (including some in our list) and they show the past by a changing a vowel in the “stem” (the part that’s left when you take off the -(e)n at the end): I give > I gave ich gebe > ich gab. Just like in English, German verb endings sometimes change (“conjugation”) to show who is doing the action (I live, he live s ich leb e, er leb t), when (I live d ich leb te). In German, infinitives usually end in – en and sometimes just -n: geh en (to go), sag en (to say), könn en (to be able/can), sei n (to be), klingel n (to ring). In English that’s the “to” form: to be, to go, to say. The dictionary form of the verbs is the “infinitive”. There’s good news as you start learning (or revising) the most useful German verbs: many are very similar to the English equivalent. After all, beyond pointing at objects and naming them, you won’t get far in German without some “action”! 🙂 The most common German verbs – words expressing an action like “to eat” or a state like “to be” – should be at the top of your list. Learning the most frequent German words is makes tactical sense when you’re starting to learn the language.

Comon used german words in english