Trinken means "to drink" in German. It is a common irregular verb used to describe the action of consuming liquids.
Usage and Meaning
Trinken is used to talk about drinking beverages like water, coffee, juice, or alcohol. It can also be used more figuratively, as in idiomatic expressions.
- Basic meaning: to drink a liquid
- Used with personal pronouns, nouns, and question words
- Can be reflexive in certain contexts (e.g., sich etwas zu trinken machen)
Do you drink coffee?
Trinkst du Kaffee?
The correct informal singular 'du' form is 'trinkst.'
Conjugation Patterns
Trinken is irregular in the stem vowel change from "i" to "ie" in the du and er/sie/es forms in the present tense.
Present Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Infinitive Stem | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | trink- | ich trinke | Ich trinke Wasser. (I drink water.) |
| du | trink- → trinkst | du trinkst | Trinkst du Kaffee? (Do you drink coffee?) |
| er/sie/es | trink- → trinkt | er trinkt | Er trinkt Saft. (He drinks juice.) |
| wir | trink- | wir trinken | Wir trinken Tee. (We drink tea.) |
| ihr | trink- | ihr trinkt | Ihr trinkt Cola. (You all drink cola.) |
| sie/Sie | trink- | sie trinken | Sie trinken Bier. (They drink beer.) |
Past Tense (Präteritum) Conjugation
In the simple past, the stem vowel remains "u."
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | trank | Ich trank Wasser. (I drank water.) |
| du | trankst | Du trankst Tee. (You drank tea.) |
| er/sie/es | trank | Er trank Saft. (He drank juice.) |
| wir | tranken | Wir tranken Kaffee. (We drank coffee.) |
| ihr | trankt | Ihr trankt Cola. (You all drank cola.) |
| sie/Sie | tranken | Sie tranken Bier. (They drank beer.) |
Past Participle
- getrunken
Used with haben to form the perfect tense:
- Ich habe Wasser getrunken. (I have drunk water.)
Modal Usage
When used with modals, trinken appears in the infinitive form at the end of the sentence.
| Modal | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| können | Ich kann Wasser trinken. | I can drink water. |
| wollen | Ich will Kaffee trinken. | I want to drink coffee. |
| müssen | Du musst Tee trinken. | You must drink tea. |
| dürfen | Er darf Saft trinken. | He may drink juice. |
| sollen | Wir sollen mehr Wasser trinken. | We should drink more water. |
| möchten | Ich möchte Bier trinken. | I would like to drink beer. |
Examples
- Ich trinke jeden Morgen Kaffee. (I drink coffee every morning.)
- Trinkst du genug Wasser? (Do you drink enough water?)
- Er trank gestern Wein. (He drank wine yesterday.)
- Wir haben Saft getrunken. (We have drunk juice.)
Trinken is an essential verb in German, especially for everyday conversation about food and drink.
Do you drink enough water?
Trinkst du genug Wasser?
'Trinkst' is correct for du; 'genug' means enough.
Have you drunk water?
Hast du Wasser getrunken?
'Getrunken' stays at the sentence end, and 'hast' agrees with du.
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- Modal: können
- Example: Ich kann Wasser trinken.
- English: I can drink water.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
