5. Verbs ending in -eln
In the present tense, German verbs whose infinitive stem ends in -eln form their present tense by removing the -n of the stem and adding the normal endings. Note however:
- that the -e of the stem is omitted in the first person singular - i.e. ich klingle, ich sammle
- that the "wir" ending on such verbs is -n, not -en
- that the formal "Sie" ending is also -n
- that the third person plural ending is also -n, not -en
Table 1: Present tense of "klingeln" |
Singular |
|
|
ich klingle |
I ring |
|
du klingelst
Sie klingeln |
You ring (informal/formal) |
|
er/sie/es klingelt |
He/she/it rings |
Plural |
|
|
wir klingeln |
We ring |
|
ihr klingelt
Sie klingeln |
You ring (informal/formal) |
|
sie klingeln |
They ring |
|
Table 2: Present tense of "sammeln" |
Singular |
|
|
ich sammle |
I collect |
|
du sammelst
Sie sammeln |
You collect (informal/formal) |
|
er/sie/es sammelt |
He/she/it collects |
Plural |
|
|
wir sammeln |
We collect |
|
ihr sammelt
Sie sammeln |
You collect (informal/formal) |
|
sie sammeln |
They collect |
|
Other verbs with a stem in ending in -eln include:
A-E: abwiegeln (to calm down), ähneln (to resemble), angeln (to go fishing), anzetteln (to instigate), aufwiegeln (to stir up), basteln (to make things with your hands), baumeln (to dangle), behandeln (to treat), bemängeln (to find fault with), besiegeln (to seal), blinzeln (to blink), bröckeln (to crumble), bügeln (to iron), bummeln (to stroll), einkesseln (to encircle), ekeln (to disgust), entwickeln (to develop), entwurzeln (to uproot), erdrosseln (to throttle), ermitteln (to determine)
F-M: fesseln (to tie, to bind), frösteln (to shiver), fummeln (to fiddle, to fumble), gipfeln (to culminate), grübeln (to brood), gruseln (to give the creeps), gurgeln (to gargle, to gurgle), hageln (to hail), häkeln (to crochet), handeln (to act), hätscheln (to pamper), heucheln (to be a hypocrite), hobeln (to plane), humpeln (to hobble, to limp), hüsteln (to cough slightly), jobeln (to yodel), jubeln (to celebrate), kitzeln (to tickle), klingeln (to ring), knebeln (to gag), kränkeln (to be poorly), kribbeln (to tickle), kritzeln (to scribble), lächeln (to smile), mäkeln (to carp, to cavil), mangeln (to lack), maßregeln (to reprimand), mogeln (to cheat), murmeln (to murmur)
N-S: nieseln (to drizzle), nörgeln (to moan, to crumble), pendeln (to swing; to commute), pinseln (to paint), prügeln (to beat), rätseln (to rack your brains), regeln (to regulate), rodeln (to toboggan), runzeln (to wrinkle), rütteln (to shake), sammeln (to collect), satteln (to saddle), schaufeln (to shovel), schaukeln (to rock, to sway), schimmeln (to go mouldy), schlafwandeln (to sleepwalk), sich schlängeln (to wind its way, to snake), schmeicheln (to flatter), schmuggeln (to smuggle), schmunzeln (to smile), schnüffeln (to sniff, to snuffle), schütteln (to shake), schwindeln (to feel dizzy; to con), segeln (to sail), spiegeln (to reflect, to mirror), sprudeln (to bubble, to fizz), stammeln (to stammer), stempeln (to stamp; to postmark), straucheln (to stumble), streicheln (to caress, to stroke)
T-Z: tadeln (to blame), taumeln (to stagger, to sway), trampeln (to stamp your feet), trödeln (to dawdle), trommeln (to drum), tröpfeln (to drip), sich tummeln (to romp about), tuscheln (to whisper), übersiedeln (to move, to migrate), umkrempeln (to turn up), verdoppeln (to double), verdunkeln (to darken), vereiteln (to thwart, to foil), verhandeln (to negotiate), verwandeln (to change, to transform), verwechseln (to confuse), wackeln (to wobble, to shake), wandeln (to walk; to stroll), wechseln (to change), wedeln (to wag), wickeln (to wind, to wrap), wimmeln (to swarm, to teem), winseln (to whimper), zerbröckeln (to crumble), zündeln (to play with fire), zweifeln (to doubt).
This group of -eln verbs also include a small number of verbs recently imported from English. They include canceln (to cancel), googeln (to use Google) and puzzeln (to do a jigsaw).
Table 3: Present tense of "canceln" |
Singular |
|
|
ich canc(e)le |
I cancel |
|
du cancelst
Sie canceln |
You cancel (informal/formal) |
|
er/sie/es cancelt |
He/she/it cancels |
Plural |
|
|
wir canceln |
We cancel |
|
ihr cancelt
Sie canceln |
You cancel (informal/formal) |
|
sie canceln |
They cancel |
|
Verbs ending in -ern
German verbs whose infinitive stem ends in -ern also form their present tense by removing the -n of the stem and adding the normal endings. In spoken German, the -e of the stem is sometimes omitted in the first person singular - i.e. ich wand(e)re. In written German however, the -e of the stem is retained. Note also:
- that the "wir" ending on such verbs is -n, not -en
- that the formal "Sie" ending is also -n
- that the third person plural ending is also -n, not -en
Table 4: Present tense of "erinnern" |
Singular |
|
|
ich erinnere |
I remind |
|
du erinnerst
Sie erinnern |
You remind (informal/formal) |
|
er/sie/es erinnert |
He/she/it reminds |
Plural |
|
|
wir erinnern |
We remind |
|
ihr erinnert
Sie erinnern |
You remind (informal/formal) |
|
sie erinnern |
They remind |
|
Table 5: Present tense of "wandern" |
Singular |
|
|
ich wand(e)re |
I wander |
|
du wanderst
Sie wandern |
You wander (informal/formal) |
|
er/sie/es wandert |
He/she/it wanders |
Plural |
|
|
wir wandern |
We wander |
|
ihr wandert
Sie wandern |
You wander (informal/formal) |
|
sie wandern |
They wander |
|
Verbs with a stem in ending in -ern include:
A-E: altern (to grow old), sich anbiedern (to court someone's favour), ändern (to change), ankern (to anchor), ärgern (to irritate), aufheitern (to brighten up), aufmuntern (to cheer up), äußern (to express), aussondern (to single out), auswandern (to emigrate), behindern (to impede), bemuttern (to mother), bereichern (to enrich), beteuern (to declare), bevölkern (to populate), bewundern (to admire), beziffern (to number; to estimate), blättern (to leaf through), chartern (to charter), dämmern (to dawn), dauern (to last, to endure), donnern (to thunder), durchstöbern (to rummage through), einbürgern (to naturalize), eitern (to fester), entziffern (to decipher), erinnern (to remind), sich erinnern (to remember), erlätern (to explain), erleichtern (to make easier), erneuern (to renew), erobern (to conquer), erörtern (to discuss), erschüttern (to shake severely), erweitern (to expand), erwidern (to respond)
F-M: feiern (to celebrate), feuern (to sack, to fire), filtern (to filter), flüstern (to whisper), folgern (to conclude), foltern (to torture), fordern (to demand), fördern (to support, to promote), füttern (to feed), gliedern (to structure), hämmern (to hammer), hamstern (to hoard; to forage), hapern (to be lacking), hindern (to impede), hungern (to starve), jammern (to whine, to yammer), kauern (to crouch; to cower), kentern (to capsize), kichern (to giggle), klammern (to peg, to staple), klappern (to clatter), klettern (to climb), knabbern (to nibble), knistern (to rustle), knittern (to crease), ködern (to lure; to entice), kontern (to counter), sich kümmern (to look after; to worry), lagern (to store), lästern (to be cruel about someone), lauern (to lurk, to lie in wait), liefern (to deliver), lindern (to alleviate), lockern (to loosen), martern (to torment), meckern (to grouse; to moan), meistern (to overcome), mildern (to alleviate), mindern (to diminish), mustern (to scrutinize)
N-S: opfern (to sacrifice), pflastern (to surface; to cobble), pilgern (to make a pilgrimage), plappern (to prattle), plaudern (to chat, to talk), plündern (to plunder), polstern (to upholster), pudern (to powder), räuchern (to smoke), sich räuspern (to clear one's throat), rudern (to row), säbern (to clean), scheitern (to fail), schildern (to depict), schimmern (to shimmer), schlendern (to stroll, to amble), schleudern (to hurl, to sling), schmälern (to diminish, to reduce), schnuppern (to sniff, to snuffle), sichern (to secure), speichern (to store), steigern (to increase), steuern (to navigate), stolpern (to stumble), stottern (to stutter)
T-Z: trauern (to mourn), untermauern (to underpin), verallgemeinern (to generalize), verändern (to change), verbessern (to improve), vergewissern (to make sure), vergrößern (to enlarge), verhindern (to prevent), verkleinern (to make smallert), verkörpern (to embody), verlängern (to extend), verringern (to reduce), verschlechtern (to make worse), verschleiern (to veil), verschlimmern (to make worse), versichern (to assure), versteigern (to auction), verweigern (to refuse), wandern (to wander), sich weigern (to refuse), wetteifern (to compete), wuchern (to proliferate), wundern (to surprise), zaubern (to do magic), zaudern (to hesitate), zertrümmern (to smash; to wreck), zittern (to tremble), zögern (to hesitate), zwinkern (to blink; to twinkle).
German Present Tense: Irregular Verbs
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