Basic conjugation rule
German verbs whose infinitive stem ends in -z, -ss, -ß, -s and -x add -t and not -st in the "du" form of the present tense.


2.1 Verbs with a stem in ending in -z
These verbs include ächzen (to groan), beizen (to steep, to treat), beschmutzen (to make dirty), blitzen (to flash), duzen (to say "du" to someone), ergänzen (to complete), faulenzen (to laze about), geizen (to be miserly), glänzen (to gleam, to shine), grenzen (to border), heizen (to heat), hetzen (to hound), jauchzen (to cheer), krächzen (to croak), kratzen (to scratch), kreuzen (to cross), kürzen (to shorten), lechzen (to pant), nutzen (to be of use, to use), pflanzen (to plant), platzen (to burst), putzen (to clean), reizen (to irritate, to stimulate), schätzen (to estimate), scherzen (to joke), schluchzen (to sob), schmerzen (to hurt), schnalzen (to crack, to click), schnäuzen (to blow one's nose), schnitzen (to cut), schützen (to protect), schwärzen (to blacken), schwatzen (to chatter), schwitzen (to sweat), setzen (to put), seufzen (to groan), siezen (to say "Sie" to someone), spitzen (to sharpen), spritzen (to inject), strotzen (to be full), stützen (to support), stutzen (to trim; to hesitate), tanzen (to dance), trotzen (to defy), verletzen (to injure), verschmutzen (to pollute), wälzen (to roll, to writhe), würzen (to spice).

Table 1: Present tense of "tanzen" Singular   ich tanze I dance du tanzt Sie tanzen You dance (informal/formal)  er/sie/es tanzt He/she/it dances Plural   wir tanzen We dance ihr tanzt Sie tanzen You dance (informal/formal)  sie tanzen They dance

2.2 Verbs with a stem in ending in -ss
These include beeinflussen (to influence), erpressen (to blackmail), fassen (to seize, to grasp), hassen (to hate), hissen (to hoist), küssen (to kiss), passen (to fit, to suit), stressen (to put under stress), verblassen (to fade), vermissen (to miss).

Table 2: Present tense of "küssen" Singular   ich küsse I kiss du küsst Sie küssen You kiss (informal/formal)  er/sie/es küsst He/she/it kisses Plural   wir küssen We kiss ihr küsst Sie küssen You kiss (informal/formal)  sie küssen They kiss

2.3 Verbs with a stem in ending in -ß
These include beißen (to bite), büßen (to atone, to pay for), einflößen (to instil into someone), entblößen (to expose), fließen (to flow), fußen (to be based on), grüßen (to greet), heißen (to be called), mutmaßen (to conjecture), rußen (to smoke, to produce soot), schweißen (to weld), spaßen (to joke), süßen (to sweeten).

Table 3: Present tense of "heißen" Singular   ich heiße I am called du heißt Sie heißen You are called (informal/formal)  er/sie/es heißt He/she/it is called Plural   wir heißen We are called ihr heißt Sie heißen You are called (informal/formal)  sie heißen They are called

2.4 Verbs with a stem in ending in -s
These include brausen (to roar, to thunder), bremsen (to brake), dösen (to doze), einheimsen (to collect, to rake in), entgleisen (to be derailed; to misbehave), grasen (to graze), grinsen (to grin), hausen (to live; to wreak), hopsen (to hop), knipsen (to punch, to clip), kreisen (to circle), leasen (to lease), lösen (to remove; to buy), losen (to draw lots), niesen (to sneeze), piepsen (to bleep; to chirrup), rasen (to race), reisen (to travel), schmausen (to feast), speisen (to dine), tosen (to roar, to rage), verharmlosen (to play down), verlosen (to raffle), verwahrlosen (to fall into disrepair), verzinsen (to pay interest in), weisen (to point).

Table 4: Present tense of "reisen" Singular   ich reise I travel du reist Sie reisen You travel (informal/formal)  er/sie/es reist He/she/it travels Plural   wir reisen We travel ihr reist Sie reisen You travel (informal/formal)  sie reisen They travel

2.5 Verbs with a stem in ending in -x
These include boxen (to box), faxen (to fax), fixen (to fix, to shoot up (drugs)), hexen (to practise witchcraft), mixen (to mix), relaxen (to relax).

Table 5: Present tense of "boxen" Singular   ich boxe I box du boxt Sie boxen You box (informal/formal)  er/sie/es boxt He/she/it boxes Plural   wir boxen We box ihr boxt Sie boxen You box (informal/formal)  sie boxen They box

2.6 Imported verbs with a stem in ending in -c
These endings are also found in the present tense verbs with a stem in -c that have recently been imported from English.

Table 6: Present tense of "outsourcen" Singular   ich source out I outsource du sourct out Sie sourcen out You outsource (informal/formal)  er/sie/es sourct out He/she/it outsources Plural   wir sourcen out We outsource ihr sourct out Sie sourcen out You outsource (informal/formal)  sie sourcen out They outsource

German Present Tense: Verbs with stems in -d and -t

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