3. Verbs with a stem ending in -d
In the present tense, German verbs whose infinitive stem ends in -d:
- add -est and not -st in the "du" form
- add -et and not -t in the "er/sie/es" form
- add -et and not -t in the "ihr" form
Table 1: Present tense of "reden" |
Singular |
|
 |
ich rede |
I speak |
 |
du redest
Sie reden |
You speak (informal/formal) |
 |
er/sie/es redet |
He/she/it speaks |
Plural |
|
 |
wir reden |
We speak |
 |
ihr redet
Sie reden |
You speak (informal/formal) |
 |
sie reden |
They speak |
|
Table 2: Present tense of "melden" |
Singular |
|
 |
ich melde |
I report |
 |
du meldest
Sie melden |
You report (informal/formal) |
 |
er/sie/es meldet |
He/she/it reports |
Plural |
|
 |
wir melden |
We report |
 |
ihr meldet
Sie melden |
You report (informal/formal) |
 |
sie melden |
They report |
|
Verbs with a stem in ending in -d include:
A-E: ahnden (to avenge, to punish), aufbürden (to encumber), baden (to bathe), beenden (to end), beneiden (to envy), bilden (to form), binden (to tie), blenden (to dazzle), downloaden (to download), dulden (to tolerate), enden (to end), erkunden (to find out, to reconnoitre), ermorden (to murder), ermüden (to tire)
F-M: fahnden (to search for), sich gebärden (to conduct oneself), gefährden (to endanger), gründen (to found), kleiden (to dress), landen (to land), melden (to report), münden (to flow into, to lead)
N-S: pfänden (to impound), reden (to speak), roden (to clear), runden (to round), schaden (to damage), schmieden (to forge), schneiden (to cut), schulden (to owe), senden (to send), sieden (to boil), spenden (to donate), stranden (to run aground, to be stranded), stunden (to give someone time to pay)
T-Z: verabschieden (to say goodbye to), verfremden (to defamiliarize), vergeuden (to waste), verschwenden (to waste), verschwinden (to disappear), verwunden (to wound), vollenden (to complete), wenden (to turn), zünden (to ignite).
Verbs with a stem ending in -t
In the present tense, German verbs whose infinitive stem ends in -t equally:
- add -est and not -st in the "du" form
- add -et and not -t in the "er/sie/es" form
- add -et and not -t in the "ihr" form
Table 3: Present tense of "arbeiten" |
Singular |
|
 |
ich arbeite |
I work |
 |
du arbeitest
Sie arbeiten |
You work (informal/formal) |
 |
er/sie/es arbeitet |
He/she/it works |
Plural |
|
 |
wir arbeiten |
We work |
 |
ihr arbeitet
Sie arbeiten |
You work (informal/formal) |
 |
sie arbeiten |
They work |
|
Table 4: Present tense of "warten" |
Singular |
|
 |
ich warte |
I wait |
 |
du wartest
Sie warten |
You wait (informal/formal) |
 |
er/sie/es wartet |
He/she/it waits |
Plural |
|
 |
wir warten |
We wait |
 |
ihr wartet
Sie warten |
You wait (informal/formal) |
 |
sie arbeiten |
They wait |
|
Verbs with a stem in ending in -t include:
A-E: achten (to respect), antworten (to answer), arbeiten (to work), auflisten (to list), ausbeuten (to exploit), ausbooten (to kick out), ausbreiten (to spread out), auskundschaften (to find out), ausmisten (to muck out), ausrotten (to eradicate), ausstatten (to equip), befristen (to limit), begleiten (to accompany), begutachten (to give expert advice about), behaupten (to assert), beichten (to confess), bekleiden (to dress, to clothe), belasten (to burden), belichten (to expose), beobachten (to observe), bereiten (to prepare), beten (to pray), bewerten (to evaluate), bewirten (to feed; to entertain), bitten (to ask), bluten (to bleed), brüsten (to boast), brüten (to brood), bürsten (to brush), dichten (to write, to compose), deuten (to point), duften (to smell), dünsten (to steam, to stew), entkräften (to weaken; to refute), sich erkälten (to catch a cold), ernten (to harvest), erröten (to blush)
F-M: falten (to fold), flirten (to flirt), flüchten (to flee), fürchten (to fear), gestalten (to shape), gestatten (to permit), gewährleisten (to guarantee), haften (to be legally responsible), härten (to harden), hasten (to hurry), heften (to pin, to fix), heiraten (to marry), horten (to hoard), husten (to cough), hüten (to look after), kneten (to knead), knoten (to knot), kosten (to cost), läuten (to ring), lauten (to be, to amount to), leisten (to achieve), leiten (to lead), leuchten (to shine), lüften (to air), mieten (to rent, to hire)
N-S: pachten (to lease), punkten (to score points), pusten (to puff, to blow), retten (to save), richten (to direct, to focus), rosten (to rust), rüsten (to arm), schalten (to switch), schlachten (to slaughter), schlichten (to mediate, to arbitrate), schmachten (to languish, to pine), schütten (to pour), sichten (to look through), spalten (to split), spotten (to mock), spurten (to spurt), starten (to start), stiften (to found, to donate)
T-Z: tasten (to feel, to grope), testen (to test), töten (to kill), trachten (to strive), trösten (to console), übernachten (to spend the night), veralten (to grow old), veranstalten (to organize), verarzten (to patch up), verbluten (to bleed to death), verbreiten (to spread), verdursten (to die of thirst), verhaften (to arrest), verkraften (to cope with), vermarkten (to market), vermuten (to assume), vernichten (to destroy), verpflichten (to oblige, to commit), verrichten (to perform, to carry out), sich verspäten (to be late), verunstalten (to disfigure, to scar), verwüsten (to devastate, to ravage), verzichten (to do without), vorbereiten (to prepare), warten (to wait), werten (to rate), wetten (to bet), wirtschaften (to economize), wüten (to rage), züchten (to breed).
These verbs with a stem in -t also include a number of verbs recently imported from English: babysitten (to baby-sit), chatten (to chat), jetten (to jet), layouten (to layout), sich outen (to out oneself), promoten (to promote), toasten (to toast).
Table 5: Present tense of "chatten" |
Singular |
|
 |
ich chatte |
I chat |
 |
du chattest
Sie chatten |
You chat (informal/formal) |
 |
er/sie/es chattet |
He/she/it chats |
Plural |
|
 |
wir chatten |
We chat |
 |
ihr chattet
Sie chatten |
You chat (informal/formal) |
 |
sie chatten |
They chat |
|
German Present Tense: Verbs with stems ending in a consonant + -n or -m

Print This Page
|