German regular verbs follow a systematic pattern based on their infinitive endings, enabling learners to conjugate verbs correctly across different subjects and tenses.
- Most regular verbs end in -en (e.g., machen, spielen, arbeiten).
- The infinitive stem is obtained by removing -en (e.g., mach-, spiel-, arbeit-).
- Standard endings are added to the stem for each subject in the present tense.
-en
Present Tense (-en Verbs)
For regular -en verbs, remove -en to get the stem, then add the endings:
| Subject | Ending | Example: machen (to do/make) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | ich mache |
| du | -st | du machst |
| er/sie/es | -t | er macht, sie macht, es macht |
| wir | -en | wir machen |
| ihr | -t | ihr macht |
| sie/Sie | -en | sie machen, Sie machen |
- All regular verbs use the same endings: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en.
-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en
Example Verbs
| Infinitive | Meaning | ich | du | er/sie/es | wir | ihr | sie/Sie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| machen | to do/make | mache | machst | macht | machen | macht | machen |
| spielen | to play | spiele | spielst | spielt | spielen | spielt | spielen |
| arbeiten | to work | arbeite | arbeitest | arbeitet | arbeiten | arbeitet | arbeiten |
- Arbeiten shows that if the stem ends in -t or -d, -e- is inserted before -st and -t for pronunciation: du arbeitest, ihr arbeitet.
An 'e' is added before the endings for pronunciation
Summary
Regular German verbs follow a clear pattern using the stem + standard endings, making it easy to learn many verbs at once.
- Most regular verbs end in -en, such as machen, spielen, arbeiten.
- Remove -en from the infinitive to get the stem, then add endings for each subject.
- Present tense endings are: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en.
- For verbs like arbeiten with stems ending in -t/-d, insert an -e- before -st and -t for smooth pronunciation.