Meaning and Usage
The verb tragen in German means to wear or to carry. It is commonly used when talking about wearing clothes, accessories, or carrying objects. Depending on the context, it can describe bearing something physically or figuratively.
Conjugation Overview
Tragen is an irregular verb, and it experiences changes in the stem vowel in some forms (from 'a' to 'ä'). It is important to note these changes to conjugate the verb correctly in present tense and past tenses.
Present Tense Conjugation
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | trage | I wear/carry | Ich trage eine Jacke. | I wear a jacket. |
| du | trägst | you wear/carry | Du trägst die Tasche. | You carry the bag. |
| er/sie/es | trägt | he/she/it wears | Er trägt einen Hut. | He wears a hat. |
| wir | tragen | we wear/carry | Wir tragen die Kisten. | We carry the boxes. |
| ihr | tragt | you (plural) wear | Ihr tragt die Bücher. | You carry the books. |
| sie/Sie | tragen | they/You wear | Sie tragen alle Uniform. | They wear all uniforms. |
Simple Past (Präteritum)
In the simple past, the stem vowel returns to 'a', and the verb follows a strong verb pattern.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | trug | I wore/carried | Ich trug gestern den Mantel. | I wore the coat yesterday. |
| du | trugst | you wore/carried | Du trugst die Tasche. | You carried the bag. |
| er/sie/es | trug | he/she/it wore | Er trug eine Brille. | He wore glasses. |
| wir | trugen | we wore/carried | Wir trugen den Koffer. | We carried the suitcase. |
| ihr | trugt | you (plural) wore | Ihr trugt die Jacken. | You wore the jackets. |
| sie/Sie | trugen | they/You wore | Sie trugen die Uniformen. | They wore the uniforms. |
Past Participle and Perfect Tense
The past participle of tragen is getragen. It is used with the auxiliary verb haben to form the perfect tense.
Example:
Ich habe die Tasche getragen. — I have carried the bag.
Usage Notes
- Tragen can be reflexive in certain idiomatic expressions, but mostly it is used transitively with a direct object.
- In formal and informal speech, conjugation remains unchanged; however, vowel changes are critical to sound natural.
- The verb encompasses both carrying objects and wearing items, so context typically clarifies the intended meaning.
Related Verbs
Use these verbs to expand your vocabulary around clothing and carrying items.
