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The German present tense (Präsens) is the first and most important tense you will learn. It covers what is happening right now, habitual actions, and even some future events. Once you master German present tense conjugation, you unlock the ability to express yourself in everyday conversations.
This guide walks you through regular verb endings, stem-changing verbs, and the three most important irregular verbs: sein, haben, and werden. If you are looking for a broader overview of how German verbs work across all tenses, check out our German Verb Conjugation Guide first.
German verb conjugation in the present tense follows a straightforward system. Every German verb has an infinitive form that ends in -en (or sometimes just -n). To conjugate, you remove the ending to find the stem, then add the appropriate personal ending.
Take the verb machen (to do/make) as an example:
This pattern applies to the vast majority of German verbs and is the foundation of German grammar for beginners.
The six personal endings in the German present tense are:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example (machen) | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich (I) | -e | ich mache | I do/make |
| du (you, informal) | -st | du machst | you do/make |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | -t | er macht | he does/makes |
| wir (we) | -en | wir machen | we do/make |
| ihr (you all) | -t | ihr macht | you all do/make |
| sie/Sie (they/you formal) | -en | sie machen | they do/make |
Notice that wir and sie/Sie always match the infinitive form. The er/sie/es and ihr forms share the same -t ending. These patterns stay consistent across nearly all regular verbs.
Here are three more common regular verbs conjugated in the present tense:
| Pronoun | lernen (to learn) | spielen (to play) | wohnen (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | lerne | spiele | wohne |
| du | lernst | spielst | wohnst |
| er/sie/es | lernt | spielt | wohnt |
| wir | lernen | spielen | wohnen |
| ihr | lernt | spielt | wohnt |
| sie/Sie | lernen | spielen | wohnen |
Some regular verbs need small spelling tweaks to keep pronunciation natural:
These adjustments are not irregular. They are simply pronunciation-friendly modifications that follow predictable rules.
Stem-changing verbs (starke Verben) are where German present tense conjugation gets more interesting. These verbs change a vowel in their stem, but only in the du and er/sie/es forms. The other forms remain regular.
There are three main vowel change patterns:
| Pronoun | fahren (to drive) | schlafen (to sleep) | tragen (to carry) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | fahre | schlafe | trage |
| du | fährst | schläfst | trägst |
| er/sie/es | fährt | schläft | trägt |
| wir | fahren | schlafen | tragen |
| ihr | fahrt | schlaft | tragt |
| sie/Sie | fahren | schlafen | tragen |
| Pronoun | sprechen (to speak) | geben (to give) | helfen (to help) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | spreche | gebe | helfe |
| du | sprichst | gibst | hilfst |
| er/sie/es | spricht | gibt | hilft |
| wir | sprechen | geben | helfen |
| ihr | sprecht | gebt | helft |
| sie/Sie | sprechen | geben | helfen |
| Pronoun | lesen (to read) | sehen (to see) | empfehlen (to recommend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | lese | sehe | empfehle |
| du | liest | siehst | empfiehlst |
| er/sie/es | liest | sieht | empfiehlt |
| wir | lesen | sehen | empfehlen |
| ihr | lest | seht | empfehlt |
| sie/Sie | lesen | sehen | empfehlen |
Remember: the stem change only affects du and er/sie/es. The wir, ihr, and sie/Sie forms keep the original vowel.
German has roughly 200 strong (irregular) verbs, but only about 40 to 50 of them show stem changes in the present tense. The rest behave irregularly only in past tense forms.
However, three verbs are truly irregular in the present tense because they do not follow any predictable pattern at all: sein (to be), haben (to have), and werden (to become). These are also among the most frequently used verbs in the language, so learning them by heart is essential.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | bin |
| du | bist |
| er/sie/es | ist |
| wir | sind |
| ihr | seid |
| sie/Sie | sind |
Sein is completely irregular. None of its forms resemble the infinitive. You simply need to memorize them.
Examples:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | habe |
| du | hast |
| er/sie/es | hat |
| wir | haben |
| ihr | habt |
| sie/Sie | haben |
Haben drops the -b- in the du and er/sie/es forms. The ich, wir, ihr, and sie/Sie forms follow regular patterns.
Examples:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | werde |
| du | wirst |
| er/sie/es | wird |
| wir | werden |
| ihr | werdet |
| sie/Sie | werden |
Werden changes its stem vowel from e to i in the du and er/sie/es forms and is also used as an auxiliary verb for the future tense and passive voice.
Examples:
Unlike English, which has multiple present forms (I go, I am going, I do go), German uses a single present tense for all of these meanings:
This makes the present tense incredibly versatile and by far the most commonly used tense in spoken German.
1. Forgetting the stem change: It is er spricht, not er sprecht. Always check whether a verb has a stem change in the du/er forms.
2. Adding -st to stems ending in -s or -z: With reisen, the du form is du reist, not du reisst. The s-sound is already there.
3. Skipping the extra -e-: With arbeiten, you must say du arbeitest and er arbeitet. Without the extra e, the word becomes unpronounceable.
4. Confusing sein forms: Sein is fully irregular. There is no shortcut here — memorize all six forms.
The best way to internalize German present tense conjugation is through active practice. Here are several ways to build your skills:
Want to improve your overall German? Explore our guide on how to learn German online or discover the best way to learn German with proven study methods.
| Pronoun | Regular Ending | Example (kaufen) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | kaufe |
| du | -st | kaufst |
| er/sie/es | -t | kauft |
| wir | -en | kaufen |
| ihr | -t | kauft |
| sie/Sie | -en | kaufen |
Stem-change reminder: Only du and er/sie/es are affected. Check for a → ä, e → i, or e → ie.
Truly irregular: sein, haben, and werden must be memorized individually.
With these patterns, charts, and practice tools, you are well on your way to mastering the German present tense. Start with regular verbs, add stem-changing verbs gradually, and drill sein, haben, and werden until they feel automatic.
Ready to put your conjugation skills to the test? Take our verb conjugation quiz now and see how much you have learned.
This post is part of our German grammar series. For a complete overview of how verbs work across all tenses, read our German Verb Conjugation Guide. You can also explore free German word games to practice vocabulary while having fun.