Meaning and Usage
The German verb schreiben means to write. It is commonly used in contexts involving writing texts, letters, emails, notes, or any form of written communication. This verb is irregular, which means its conjugation can change unexpectedly in different tenses and persons.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, schreiben follows a partially irregular pattern, especially in the second and third person singular forms. Below is the conjugation for each pronoun, along with example sentences illustrating the usage.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | schreibe | I write | Ich schreibe einen Brief. | I write a letter. |
| du | schreibst | you write | Du schreibst eine Nachricht. | You write a message. |
| er/sie/es | schreibt | he/she/it writes | Er schreibt einen Roman. | He writes a novel. |
| wir | schreiben | we write | Wir schreiben Emails. | We write emails. |
| ihr | schreibt | you (plural) write | Ihr schreibt Kommentare. | You (all) write comments. |
| sie/Sie | schreiben | they/you formal write | Sie schreiben Berichte. | They/you (formal) write reports. |
Past Tense Conjugation
The simple past (Imperfekt) of schreiben also shows irregularity. It is commonly used in written narratives.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | schrieb | I wrote | Ich schrieb gestern einen Brief. | I wrote a letter yesterday. |
| du | schriebst | you wrote | Du schriebst einen Text. | You wrote a text. |
| er/sie/es | schrieb | he/she/it wrote | Sie schrieb ein Tagebuch. | She wrote a diary. |
| wir | schrieben | we wrote | Wir schrieben die Einladung. | We wrote the invitation. |
| ihr | schriebt | you (plural) wrote | Ihr schriebt gute Aufsätze. | You (all) wrote good essays. |
| sie/Sie | schrieben | they/you formal wrote | Sie schrieben viele Briefe. | They/you (formal) wrote many letters. |
Perfect Tense and Past Participle
The perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary verb haben and the past participle geschrieben.
Example:
Ich habe einen Brief geschrieben.
(I have written a letter.)
Subjunctive Form and Usage
In the subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I), used for indirect speech, the form is schreibe for all persons except some where it follows regular patterns. Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) is schriebe, which expresses hypothetical or unreal situations.
Example Konjunctiv II:
Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, schriebe ich einen Roman.
(If I had more time, I would write a novel.)
Summary
The verb schreiben is essential for everyday communication and is irregular in several tenses. Its forms are vital to express writing actions in various contexts, including factual reports, narratives, requests, and hypothetical conditions.
