Meaning and Usage
The German verb trinken means to drink. It is used to describe the action of consuming liquids such as water, juice, coffee, or alcoholic beverages. This verb is commonly used in everyday conversations about meals, beverages, or social events.
Verb Type
Trinken is an irregular verb, which means it does not follow the regular conjugation patterns in some tenses. It is a strong verb, so its stem vowel changes in certain forms, especially in the present tense and past tense.
Present Tense Conjugation
The present tense of trinken shows vowel changes for the du and er/sie/es forms. It is important to learn these irregularities to use the verb correctly in conversation and writing.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | trinke | I drink | Ich trinke Wasser. | I drink water. |
| du | trinkst | you drink (singular) | Trinkst du Kaffee? | Do you drink coffee? |
| er/sie/es | trinkt | he/she/it drinks | Er trinkt Bier. | He drinks beer. |
| wir | trinken | we drink | Wir trinken Saft. | We drink juice. |
| ihr | trinkt | you drink (plural) | Ihr trinkt Milch. | You all drink milk. |
| sie/Sie | trinken | they/you formal drink | Sie trinken Tee. | They/You (formal) drink tea. |
Past Tense (Simple Past) Conjugation
In the simple past tense, trinken also changes its stem vowel and conjugates irregularly.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | trank | I drank | Ich trank Wasser. | I drank water. |
| du | trankst | you drank (singular) | Du trankst den Saft. | You drank the juice. |
| er/sie/es | trank | he/she/it drank | Er trank Bier. | He drank beer. |
| wir | tranken | we drank | Wir tranken Kaffee. | We drank coffee. |
| ihr | trankt | you drank (plural) | Ihr trankt Wein. | You all drank wine. |
| sie/Sie | tranken | they/you formal drank | Sie tranken Wasser. | They/You (formal) drank water. |
Past Participle and Perfect Tense
The past participle of trinken is getrunken and is used with the auxiliary verb haben to form the perfect tense, which corresponds to the present perfect or past tense in English.
Example:
Ich habe Wasser getrunken. – I have drunk water.
Imperative Form
For giving commands or requests, trinken has imperative forms with vowel changes in the du form:
- Trink! (Drink! – singular informal)
- Trinkt! (Drink! – plural informal)
- Trinken Sie! (Drink! – formal)
Common Expressions with Trinken
- etwas trinken – to drink something
- ein Glas trinken – to have a glass (of something)
- auf jemanden trinken – to drink to someone (a toast)
These phrases are often used socially and idiomatically in German-speaking cultures.
Summary
The verb trinken is essential for expressing consumption of beverages in German. Its irregular conjugation requires attention, especially in the present and past tenses. Mastery of trinken will greatly improve your ability to speak about daily activities and social situations involving drinks.
