German Verb Conjugator: Present Tense Conjugations in One Click
German Verb Conjugator: Present Tense Conjugations in One Click
Type any common German verb and this German verb conjugator shows the full present-tense table instantly: ich, du, er/sie/es, wir, ihr, sie/Sie, plus the English meaning and a translated example sentence. Thirty essential verbs are built in, including the irregulars that trip up most learners: sein, haben, and the modal verbs.
The conjugator
How the German present tense works
Regular German verbs are refreshingly mechanical. Take the verb stem (the infinitive minus -en) and add the personal endings:
So lernen gives ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, wir lernen, ihr lernt, sie lernen. Two small wrinkles: verb stems ending in -d or -t (like arbeiten) insert an extra -e- in the du and er/sie/es forms (du arbeitest), and the big irregulars sein, haben, and the modal verbs simply have to be memorized. This German verb conjugator flags those for you.
Stem-changing verbs: the pattern to watch
About a third of the verbs in this tool change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms only. The wir, ihr, and sie/Sie forms stay regular. The three patterns:
- e to i: sprechen becomes du sprichst, er spricht
- e to ie: lesen becomes du liest, er liest
- a to ä: fahren becomes du fährst, er fährt
Each stem-changing verb in the conjugator is marked, so you see the change exactly where it happens.
- Modal verbs take no ending in ich and er/sie/es: ich kann, er kann – not “ich kanne”.
- Don’t skip the stem change: du sprichst, not “du sprechst”. When in doubt, check the marked forms above.
- wissen is for facts, kennen is for people and places. “Ich weiß die Antwort” (I know the answer) but “Ich kenne Berlin” (I know Berlin). Both mean “to know”, and mixing them is the classic beginner tell.
- ihr vs. sie: ihr sprecht addresses a group of friends; sie sprechen is one person formally or “they”. The verb form tells you which.
German verb conjugator FAQ
Does this cover all German verbs?
No – it covers 30 of the most common verbs. That is deliberate: these thirty appear constantly in everyday German, and regular verbs beyond the list follow the exact -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en pattern shown above, so you can conjugate them yourself once you know the endings.
What about separable verbs?
Not conjugated here. Separable verbs like aufstehen (to get up) split in main clauses: “Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf.” The prefix jumps to the end of the sentence. Learn the present-tense endings on this page first; separable prefixes are the natural next step.
Why do some verbs change their stem vowel?
It is a historical sound change that stuck. Only strong verbs do it, and only in the du and er/sie/es forms of the present tense. There is no shortcut around memorizing which verbs change – but there are not that many, and the conjugator marks every one of them.
When do I use du versus Sie?
Du is for friends, family, children, and fellow students. Sie (always capitalized) is for strangers, officials, and professional settings. Getting this wrong will not break communication, but getting it right earns immediate goodwill.
This tool covers standard present-tense forms of 30 common verbs for learning purposes. Regional usage and rare alternative forms may differ.
