In German, regular verbs (also called weak verbs) follow a predictable pattern for conjugation in the present tense. You drop the -en from the infinitive to find the stem, then add endings that match the subject.
| Subject | Ending | Example: machen (to do) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | mache (I do) |
| du | -st | machst (you do) |
| er/sie/es | -t | macht (he/she/it does) |
| wir | -en | machen (we do) |
| ihr | -t | macht (you all do) |
| sie/Sie | -en | machen (they/You do) |
- All regular verbs use this pattern, making it easy to conjugate new verbs once you know the stem and endings.
- The infinitive for regular verbs always ends in -en (sometimes just -n), and you remove this ending to get the stem.
Remove -en from the infinitive.
machen
-e, -st, -t, -en
Remove -en to get spiel-.
Only 'arbeiten' is regular.
Example Verbs
- machen (to do/make)
- spielen (to play)
- arbeiten (to work)
- kaufen (to buy)
- hören (to hear)
All these follow the same pattern: [stem] + [ending].
Conclusion
German regular verbs are easy to master once you know the stem and endings.
- Remove -en from the infinitive to get the stem.
- Use endings: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en for ich, du, er..., wir, ihr, sie.
- This rule covers most verbs you’ll encounter early on.
'gehen' is irregular.
spielen, arbeiten, machen
du = -st, ihr = -t
Use the stem plus -en: Wir kaufen.
Remove -en from hören to get hör-.