Present Tense
Learn how regular German verbs work in the present tense. This topic covers personal endings, the formal Sie form, and the position of the conjugated verb in statements and questions.
Explanation
Present tense with regular verbs
German uses the **Präsens** to talk about what is happening now, what happens regularly, and many near-future plans.
For regular verbs without a vowel change, take the infinitive stem and add the present-tense ending.
Example: **kochen** → stem **koch-**
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | ich | koche |
| 2nd singular | du | kochst |
| 3rd singular | er/sie/es/man | kocht |
| 1st plural | wir | kochen |
| 2nd plural | ihr | kocht |
| 3rd plural | sie | kochen |
| formal singular/plural | Sie | kochen |
Endings
Most regular verbs use these endings:
| Singular | Ending | Plural | Ending |
|---|---:|---|---:|
| ich | -e | wir | -en |
| du | -st | ihr | -t |
| er/sie/es/man | -t | sie/Sie | -en |
The formal form **Sie** uses the same verb form as **sie** plural, but it is written with a capital letter: **Sie wohnen**, **Sie kochen**.
Examples
- **Ich koche gern.** — I like cooking.
- **Otto kocht auch gern.** — Otto also likes cooking.
- **Kochst du gern?** — Do you like cooking?
Word order
In a statement, the conjugated verb is usually in **second position**:
| I | II | III |
|---|---|---|
| Ich | koche | gern. |
In a wh-question, the question word is first and the conjugated verb is still in **second position**:
| I | II | III |
|---|---|---|
| Was | kocht | Otto gern? |
In a yes/no question, the conjugated verb is in **first position**:
| I | II | III |
|---|---|---|
| Kochst | du | gern? |
Remember the pattern: **verb stem + ending**. The ending shows who is doing the action.
Exercises
- Put the verbs in the correct present-tense form. (18)
- Build sentences about hobbies. Pay attention to word order: in a statement, the conjugated verb is in position 2. (6)
- Which verb form fits? Choose the correct answer. (9)
- What will happen this weekend? Put the verbs in the correct present-tense form. (6)
- Complete the missing present-tense forms. Use the given forms as a pattern. (1)
- Conjugate the regular verb for the given pronoun. (11)
A1 · German · Grammar