By the end of this lesson, I can…
- The basic personal endings
- Wir, sie, and Sie usually use -en
- Ihr usually uses -t
- Some stems ending in -t or -d need an extra e
- Usage, exceptions and scope
Simple explanation
Regular German verbs in the present tense follow a clear pattern. Remove the infinitive ending -en to find the verb stem, then add the correct ending for each subject. For example, lernen becomes ich lerne, du lernst, and er lernt. This pattern helps you talk about routines, facts, and everyday actions.
The basic personal endings
Regular verbs usually take these present-tense endings: ich → -e, du → -st, er/sie/es → -t, wir → -en, ihr → -t, sie/Sie → -en.
The verb stem usually stays the same
With regular verbs, the stem normally does not change. For lernen, the stem lern- stays the same in ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, and wir lernen.
Wir, sie, and Sie usually use -en
The forms with wir, sie meaning they, and formal Sie usually take -en. Because of this, they often look exactly like the infinitive: wir machen, sie machen, Sie machen.
Ihr usually uses -t
With ihr, regular verbs normally take the ending -t: ihr lernt, ihr spielt, ihr wohnt.
Some stems ending in -t or -d need an extra e
With verbs such as arbeiten, pronunciation would be difficult without an extra e in some forms. That is why German uses forms such as du arbeitest, er arbeitet, and ihr arbeitet.
Usage, exceptions and scope
Split lernen into lern- and an ending: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en. Er and ihr both take lernt; the subject distinguishes them. Arbeiten needs an extra e: du arbeitest, er/ihr arbeitet. After s/ß/z-type stems use du heißt, not heißst. Agreement remains when time comes first: Heute lerne ich. These regular endings do not replace the separate forms of irregular verbs.
Patterns at a glance
These are construction models; translated examples follow below. Practice and test use separate question contexts.
| Rule | Model sentence |
|---|---|
| The basic personal endings | Ich lerne Deutsch. |
| The basic personal endings | Du lernst Deutsch. |
| Wir, sie, and Sie usually use -en | Wir lernen Deutsch. |
| Ihr usually uses -t | Ihr lernt Deutsch. |
| Some stems ending in -t or -d need an extra e | Er arbeitet heute. |
| Usage, exceptions and scope | Du heißt Anna. |
Grammar formula
Affirmative sentence
Subjekt + konjugiertes Verb + ErgänzungIch lerne Deutsch.
Negative sentence
Subjekt + konjugiertes Verb + Ergänzung + nichtIch arbeite heute nicht.
Yes-no question
Konjugiertes Verb + Subjekt + Ergänzung?Wohnst du in Berlin?
W-question
Fragewort + konjugiertes Verb + Subjekt + Ergänzung?Wo arbeitest du?
Conjugation of lernen
ich lerne | du lernst | er/sie/es lernt | wir lernen | ihr lernt | sie/Sie lernenWir lernen Deutsch.
Conjugation of machen
ich mache | du machst | er/sie/es macht | wir machen | ihr macht | sie/Sie machenEr macht heute Sport.
Core rules
- 1
The basic personal endings
Regular verbs usually take these present-tense endings: ich → -e, du → -st, er/sie/es → -t, wir → -en, ihr → -t, sie/Sie → -en.
- 2
The verb stem usually stays the same
With regular verbs, the stem normally does not change. For lernen, the stem lern- stays the same in ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, and wir lernen.
- 3
Wir, sie, and Sie usually use -en
The forms with wir, sie meaning they, and formal Sie usually take -en. Because of this, they often look exactly like the infinitive: wir machen, sie machen, Sie machen.
- 4
Ihr usually uses -t
With ihr, regular verbs normally take the ending -t: ihr lernt, ihr spielt, ihr wohnt.
- 5
Some stems ending in -t or -d need an extra e
With verbs such as arbeiten, pronunciation would be difficult without an extra e in some forms. That is why German uses forms such as du arbeitest, er arbeitet, and ihr arbeitet.
- 6
Usage, exceptions and scope
Split lernen into lern- and an ending: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en. Er and ihr both take lernt; the subject distinguishes them. Arbeiten needs an extra e: du arbeitest, er/ihr arbeitet. After s/ß/z-type stems use du heißt, not heißst. Agreement remains when time comes first: Heute lerne ich. These regular endings do not replace the separate forms of irregular verbs.
Useful examples
Ich lerne jeden Abend Deutsch.
I study German every evening.
With ich, lernen takes the ending -e.
Du wohnst in Hamburg.
You live in Hamburg.
With du, wohnen takes the ending -st.
Er macht morgens Kaffee.
He makes coffee in the morning.
With er, machen takes the ending -t.
Sie kauft heute Brot.
She is buying bread today.
Singular sie uses the same verb ending as er and es.
Wir lernen zusammen.
We study together.
With wir, the verb takes -en.
Ihr spielt am Samstag Fußball.
You all play football on Saturday.
With ihr, spielen takes the ending -t.
Sie arbeiten in einem Hotel.
They work in a hotel.
Plural sie uses the ending -en.
Arbeiten Sie hier?
Do you work here?
In a formal yes-no question, the verb comes first.
Ich arbeite heute nicht.
I am not working today.
Nicht makes the statement negative.
Wo wohnst du?
Where do you live?
After wo, the conjugated verb comes before the subject.
Meine Schwester lernt Englisch.
My sister is learning English.
Meine Schwester is third-person singular, so the verb takes -t.
Am Wochenende spielen wir Karten.
We play cards at the weekend.
The verb remains in position 2 even when a time phrase comes first.
Du arbeitest jeden Montag im Büro.
You work in the office every Monday.
Arbeiten needs an extra e before -st in the du form.
Die Kinder spielen im Garten.
The children are playing in the garden.
A plural subject uses the plural verb form spielen.
Common mistakes
- ❌ Ich lernst Deutsch. ✅ Ich lerne Deutsch.
- ❌ Du lerne Deutsch. ✅ Du lernst Deutsch.
- ❌ Wir lernt Deutsch. ✅ Wir lernen Deutsch.
- ❌ Ihr lernen Deutsch. ✅ Ihr lernt Deutsch.
- ❌ Er arbeitt heute. ✅ Er arbeitet heute.
- ❌ Du heißst Anna. ✅ Du heißt Anna.
Learning tips
- Read the context and word roles before choosing an option.
- After feedback, read the reason and make a new sentence.
- After practising, take the test without the table; test mastery is recorded separately from reading.
Use it in your own sentences
Adapt the names, times or places in the models to write six sentences about your own life. Keep the target construction and check that the meaning fits the rule. This is a self-assessment activity; the multiple-choice test has a separate score.
- Write a new sentence using table pattern 1.
- Write a new sentence using table pattern 2.
- Write a new sentence using table pattern 3.
- Write a new sentence using table pattern 4.
- Write a new sentence using table pattern 5.
- Write a new sentence using table pattern 6.
Show the model
Ich lerne Deutsch. Du lernst Deutsch. Wir lernen Deutsch. Ihr lernt Deutsch. Er arbeitet heute. Du heißt Anna.
Check your own work
- I identified the subject, verb and target construction in every sentence.
- I adapted the context instead of only copying the model.
- I checked my choices against this lesson’s rules and exceptions.
Put it into practice
Try two questions without an account. Sign up free to continue and save your results and progress.
Related grammar
Frequently asked questions
What should I check for “The basic personal endings”?
Regular verbs usually take these present-tense endings: ich → -e, du → -st, er/sie/es → -t, wir → -en, ihr → -t, sie/Sie → -en.
What should I check for “The verb stem usually stays the same”?
With regular verbs, the stem normally does not change. For lernen, the stem lern- stays the same in ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, and wir lernen.
What should I check for “Wir, sie, and Sie usually use -en”?
The forms with wir, sie meaning they, and formal Sie usually take -en. Because of this, they often look exactly like the infinitive: wir machen, sie machen, Sie machen.
What should I check for “Ihr usually uses -t”?
With ihr, regular verbs normally take the ending -t: ihr lernt, ihr spielt, ihr wohnt.
What should I check for “Some stems ending in -t or -d need an extra e”?
With verbs such as arbeiten, pronunciation would be difficult without an extra e in some forms. That is why German uses forms such as du arbeitest, er arbeitet, and ihr arbeitet.
What should I check for “Usage, exceptions and scope”?
Split lernen into lern- and an ending: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en. Er and ihr both take lernt; the subject distinguishes them. Arbeiten needs an extra e: du arbeitest, er/ihr arbeitet. After s/ß/z-type stems use du heißt, not heißst. Agreement remains when time comes first: Heute lerne ich. These regular endings do not replace the separate forms of irregular verbs.
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