Present Tense
Master the German present tense (Präsens), the most common verb tense used in everyday communication. Learn how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs to talk about current actions, habits, and general truths.
1Regular Verb Conjugation
German verbs in their basic form (infinitive) end in -en or -n (e.g., machen = to make, spielen = to play). To conjugate a regular verb in the present tense, remove the -en ending to get the stem, then add the appropriate ending based on the subject. The endings are: ich -e, du -st, er/sie/es -t, wir -en, ihr -t, sie/Sie -en. Most German verbs follow this pattern, making it essential to memorize these endings early in your learning.
Examples
Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben.
I do my homework.
machen → mach- + e = mache
Du spielst Fußball.
You play football.
spielen → spiel- + st = spielst
Er lernt Deutsch.
He learns German.
lernen → lern- + t = lernt
Wir wohnen in Berlin.
We live in Berlin.
wohnen → wohn- + en = wohnen
2Stem-Changing Verbs
Some common German verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms. The most common changes are: e→i, e→ie, and a→ä. These verbs are very frequent, so learning them is crucial for fluent communication. The changes only occur in the singular second and third person (du, er/sie/es). The plural forms (wir, ihr, sie/Sie) keep the original stem vowel.
Examples
Er spricht Englisch.
He speaks English.
sprechen: e→i (ich spreche, du sprichst, er spricht)
Sie liest ein Buch.
She reads a book.
lesen: e→ie (ich lese, du liest, sie liest)
Er fährt nach Hamburg.
He drives to Hamburg.
fahren: a→ä (ich fahre, du fährst, er fährt)
Du schläfst zu lange.
You sleep too long.
schlafen: a→ä (ich schlafe, du schläfst)
3The Verb 'sein' (to be)
The verb "sein" (to be) is completely irregular and must be memorized. It's one of the most important verbs in German and is used constantly in everyday speech. Conjugation: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind. Notice that none of these forms look like the infinitive "sein" - this is why it's called an irregular verb.
Examples
Ich bin müde.
I am tired.
ich bin = I am
Du bist sehr nett.
You are very nice.
du bist = you are (informal)
Wir sind Freunde.
We are friends.
wir sind = we are
Sie sind Deutsche.
They are German.
sie sind = they are
4The Verb 'haben' (to have)
The verb "haben" (to have) is slightly irregular - the du and er/sie/es forms drop the -b- from the stem. Like "sein", this verb is essential for daily communication and for forming past tenses later. Conjugation: ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie/Sie haben. It's used for possession, age expressions, and many common phrases.
Examples
Ich habe einen Hund.
I have a dog.
ich habe = I have
Du hast Recht.
You are right.
du hast = you have (literally: you have right)
Er hat Hunger.
He is hungry.
er hat = he has (German uses 'have hunger')
Wir haben Zeit.
We have time.
wir haben = we have
5Using Present Tense for Future
In German, the present tense is often used to express future events, especially when the context makes the time clear. This is more common in German than in English and sounds natural to native speakers. Time expressions like morgen (tomorrow), nächste Woche (next week), or später (later) indicate that you're talking about the future while using present tense verbs.
Examples
Morgen fahre ich nach München.
Tomorrow I'm going to Munich.
Present tense + morgen = future meaning
Nächste Woche beginnt der Kurs.
Next week the course begins.
Present tense for scheduled future events
Heute Abend kochen wir zusammen.
This evening we're cooking together.
heute Abend (this evening) signals near future