Meaning and Usage
The verb helfen means to help in English. It is commonly used when offering assistance, support, or aid to someone in both everyday situations and formal contexts. This verb is important in German, especially because it is an irregular verb and requires specific attention in conjugation.
Conjugation Overview
Helfen is an irregular verb and belongs to the strong verb group, which means it undergoes vowel changes in certain forms. It is also a dative verb, meaning the person receiving help is in the dative case, not the accusative.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, helfen changes its stem vowel from e to i in the second and third person singular forms. The conjugation reflects this vowel change but keeps the infinitive ending otherwise.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | helfe | I help | Ich helfe meinem Freund. | I help my friend. |
| du | hilfst | you help | Du hilfst deiner Schwester. | You help your sister. |
| er/sie/es | hilft | he/she/it helps | Er hilft dem Mann. | He helps the man. |
| wir | helfen | we help | Wir helfen den Kindern. | We help the children. |
| ihr | helft | you (pl) help | Ihr helft euren Nachbarn. | You (pl) help your neighbors. |
| sie/Sie | helfen | they/you (formal) help | Sie helfen den Senioren. | They/You (formal) help the seniors. |
Past Tense Conjugation
The simple past form of helfen also shows vowel change.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | half | I helped | Ich half meinem Freund. | I helped my friend. |
| du | halfst | you helped | Du halfst deiner Schwester. | You helped your sister. |
| er/sie/es | half | he/she/it helped | Er half dem Mann. | He helped the man. |
| wir | halfen | we helped | Wir halfen den Kindern. | We helped the children. |
| ihr | halft | you (pl) helped | Ihr halft euren Nachbarn. | You (pl) helped your neighbors. |
| sie/Sie | halfen | they/you (formal) helped | Sie halfen den Senioren. | They/You (formal) helped the seniors. |
Usage with Dative Case
Helfen takes a dative object, so the person who is helped is in the dative case. Example:
- Ich helfe dem Mann. (I help the man - dative case)
This is important for correct grammar in sentences with helfen.
Summary
The verb helfen is an essential, irregular German verb that requires vowel change in certain conjugations and the use of the dative case for the person being helped. Learning its correct forms will improve your ability to express assistance and support in German.
