German Verbs: The Key Differences

As a German teacher, I know how confusing the different types of verbs can be for learners. In this article, I want to explain the most important differences and uses of German verbs.

If you prefer to read this article in German, click here: Verbarten im Deutschen.

For the Spanish version, click here: Tipos de verbos en alemán.

What are verbs anyway?

Verbs are words that describe what someone does or what happens.

They are also called Tuwörter (action words) or Tätigkeitswörter (activity words).

Verbs change their endings based on:

• Person (who is doing something),
• Number (how many are doing something), and
• Tense (when something happens).

This change is called conjugation. 

Since prepositions in German are very important, I strongly recommend reading my explanations and examples.

Next, I’ll explain the key terms you should know when dealing with German verbs.

What types of verbs are there?

In the following sections, I will show you the most important types of verbs and explain the differences and how to use them with examples.

The Main Verb

A main verb is a verb that can independently state what happens. It shows an action, a process, or a state.

Main verbs are the most important verbs in a sentence.

Examples:

• lesen: Ich lese ein Buch. (I read a book)
• trinken: Sie trinkt Wasser. (She drinks water)
• arbeiten: Er arbeitet. (He works)

In these sentences, the main verb indicates what is being done.

The Auxiliary Verb

An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used together with another verb to determine the tense of the sentence or to form the passive voice.

In German, we use haben and sein to form different tenses, and “werden” both for forming the future tense and the passive voice.

Examples for the tenses:

• haben: Ich habe gespielt. (Perfekt) (I have played)
• sein: Sie ist gefahren. (Perfekt) (She has driven)
• werden: Er wird schreiben. (Futur I) (He will write)

Examples for the passive voice:

• werden: Der Brief wird geschrieben. (Präsens Passiv) (The letter is being written)
• werden: Der Brief wurde geschrieben. (Präteritum Passiv) (The letter was written)

In these sentences, the auxiliary verbs help the main verb to show the correct tense or to form the passive voice.

The Modal Verb

In the section below, I’ll give a brief introduction to modal verbs. But if you’re ready to dive deeper and really master them, be sure to click the link to the detailed article: Modal Verbs in German.

A modal verb is a verb that changes or complements the meaning of a main verb.

Modal verbs express necessity, possibility, permission, ability, desire, or obligation.

In German, there are six main modal verbs.

können (ability or possibility):

• Ich kann Gitarre spielen. (Fähigkeit)
  I can play guitar. (ability)
• Wir können morgen anfangen. (Möglichkeit)
  We can start tomorrow. (possibility)

müssen (necessity or obligation):

• Ich muss jetzt gehen. (Notwendigkeit)
  I must go now. (necessity)
• Sie muss ihre Hausaufgaben machen. (Verpflichtung)
  She has to do her homework. (obligation)

dürfen (permission):

• Ich darf heute lange aufbleiben. (Erlaubnis)
  I am allowed to stay up late today. (permission)
• Ihr dürft hier nicht parken. (Erlaubnis)
  You are not allowed to park here. (permission)

mögen (preference or approval):

• Sie mag Schokolade. (Vorliebe)
  She likes chocolate. (preference)
• Ja, ich mag diesen Plan. (Zustimmung)
  Yes, I like this plan. (approval)

sollen (obligation or advice):

• Ich soll meine Hausaufgaben machen. (Verpflichtung)
  I should do my homework. (obligation)
• Du sollst viel Wasser trinken. (Ratschlag)
  You should drink plenty of water. (advice)

wollen (desire or intention):

• Ich will ins Kino gehen. (Wunsch)
  I want to go to the cinema. (desire)
• Wir wollen ein neues Auto kaufen. (Absicht)
  We intend to buy a new car. (intention)

Modal verbs are always used together with a main verb. The main verb is in the infinitive (base form) and is not conjugated.

What are weak, strong, and mixed verbs?

Weak Verbs in German (Regular Verbs)

Weak verbs retain their stem vowel in all forms. They simply get the appropriate endings attached.

The Partizip II (past participle) of weak verbs is formed with “ge…t.”

Example:

Strong Verbs in German (Irregular Verbs)

Strong verbs change their stem vowel in the Präteritum and/or in the Partizip II (past participle).

Sometimes, the vowel also changes in the present tense.

The past participle of strong verbs is formed with “ge…en.”

Example:

• Present: “e” in “ich sehe” to “ie” in “du siehst”
• Past: “a” in “ich sah”

This illustrates the vowel changes in the strong verb “sehen” for both the present and past tenses.

Mixed Verbs

Mixed verbs change their stem vowel in the Präteritum and/or in the Partizip II (past participle).

The past participle is still formed with “ge…t.”

Example:

Difference Between Separable and Non-Separable Verbs

Separable Verbs in German

Separable verbs are verbs in German where a prefix is separated from the verb and moves to the end of the sentence.

This usually happens in the present tense and the Präteritum.

Examples:

• einkaufen: Wir kaufen morgen ein. (We will shop tomorrow)
• anfangen: Ich fange jetzt an. (I start now)
• aufstehen: Er steht um 7 Uhr auf. (He gets up at 7 o’clock)

In the past participle, the prefix stands before “ge-“

Examples:

• einkaufen: Wir haben eingekauft. (We have shopped)
• anfangen: Ich habe angefangen. (I have started)
• aufstehen: Er ist aufgestanden. (He has gotten up)

In these examples, the prefixes “an,” “auf,” and “ein” are separated from the verb and either stand at the end of the sentence or before “ge-” in the past participle.

If you want to learn more about the use of separable verbs with “machen,” check out this article about the prefixes of the verb “machen.”

For a detailed explanation of the differences between the verbs “schlafen,” “einschlafen,” and “ausschlafen,” visit this article about the prefixes of the verb “schlafen.”

Non-Separable Verbs in German

Non-separable verbs are those in which the prefix always remains attached to the verb.

The prefix is not separated from the verb in any tense.

Examples:

• verstehen: Ich verstehe dich. (I understand you)
• besuchen: Wir besuchen unsere Familie. (We visit our family)

In the past participle, the prefix also remains attached to the verb, and no “ge-” is added.
Examples:

• verstehen: Ich habe dich verstanden. (I have understood you)
• besuchen: Wir haben unsere Familie besucht. (We have visited our family)

Direct Comparison: Separable vs. Non-separable Verbs

To illustrate, here are two verbs that convey similar meanings, but one is separable and the other is non-separable.

Can you see how differently they behave?

Non-separable verb: beginnen

• Das Meeting beginnt um 12 Uhr.
  The meeting begins at 12 o’clock.

Separable verb: anfangen

• Das Meeting fängt um 12 Uhr an.
  The meeting starts at 12 o’clock up.

In these examples, the prefix for “beginnen” (non-separable) always stays attached to the verb, while the prefix for “anfangen” (separable) is separated in the sentence.

What Are Reflexive Verbs?

Reflexive verbs are verbs in which the action of the subject reflects back onto the subject itself.

This means that the subject and the object of the action are the same person or thing.

Reflexive verbs in German are used with a reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch, sich).

Examples:

sich waschen:
Ich wasche mich.
(I wash myself)

sich rasieren:
Er rasiert sich.
(He shaves himself)

In these examples, the reflexive pronoun indicates that the action reflects back onto the subject itself.

What Are Reciprocal Verbs?

Reciprocal verbs are verbs that express a mutual action between two or more people or things.

This means that the action is performed mutually by the people or things involved.

In German, reciprocal verbs are often used with reflexive pronouns like einander (each other), miteinander, or sich.

Examples:

sich treffen:
Wir treffen uns im Park.
(We meet each other in the park)

sich helfen:
Wir helfen uns bei den Hausaufgaben.
(We help each other with the homework)

sich streiten:
Ihr streitet euch ständig.
(You argue with each other constantly)

Difference Between Reflexive and Reciprocal Verbs

Reflexive verbs describe an action that the subject performs on itself.

• Example: Er wäscht sich. (He washes himself)

Reciprocal verbs describe a mutual action between two or more subjects.

• Example: Wir treffen uns im Park. (The people meet each other)

Indicative, Subjunctive, and Imperative

Here are the main differences:

Indicative

The indicative is the mood of reality.
It is used to express facts, real events, and actual states. The indicative ensures that what is said is understood as real and true.

Examples:

• Ich lese ein Buch. (Fact)
• Er schreibt einen Brief. (Real event)
• Sie läuft im Park. (Actual state)

Subjunctive (der Konjunktiv)

The subjunctive is used to express wishes, possibilities, hypotheses, doubts, or indirect speech.

There are two forms of the subjunctive: Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II.

Konjunktiv I:

Used mainly in indirect speech.

Example:

Er sagte, er habe keine Zeit. (Indirect speech)

Konjunktiv II:

Expresses wishes, hypothetical situations, or unreal conditions.

Examples:

Wenn ich ein Vogel wäre, könnte ich fliegen. (Hypothetical situation)

Er würde kommen, wenn er wollte. (Unreal condition)

Imperative

The imperative is the mood of commands or requests.
It is used to give direct instructions, commands, or requests.

Examples:

• Öffne das Fenster! (Open the window!)
• Schreib den Brief! (Write the letter!)
• Geh nach Hause! (Go home!)

Summary of the Three Moods: Indicative, Subjunctive, and Imperative

Indicative: Describes the real world and facts.

• Example: Sie liest ein Buch. (She is actually doing this.)

Subjunctive (Konjunktiv): Expresses wishes, possibilities, doubts, or indirect speech.

• Konjunktiv I Example: Er sagte, er komme später. (Indirect speech)
• Konjunktiv II Example: Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich ein Flugzeug. (Hypothetical situation)

Imperative: Gives direct instructions or commands.

• Example: Geh nach Hause! (Request)

These three moods help to precisely determine the intention and context of verbs in sentences.

What are impersonal verbs?

Impersonal verbs are verbs that are used only in the third person singular and do not have a specific subject.

These verbs often express natural phenomena, states, or general conditions. You can find a list of many impersonal verbs here on Wikibooks.

In these cases, the subject is the indefinite “es”.

Examples of impersonal verbs:

Natural phenomena:

• regnen: Es regnet. (It is raining)
• schneien: Es schneit. (It is snowing)

States or general conditions:

• passieren: Es passiert nicht viel hier. (Not much is happening here)
• gelingen: Es gelingt mir nicht. (I am not succeeding)

Important characteristics of impersonal verbs:

• They always use “es” as the subject.
• They occur only in the third person singular.
• They often describe the weather, natural events, or general conditions.

Summary

In this article, you have learned about the different types of German verbs.

We have covered main verbs, auxiliary verbs, and modal verbs, explaining their respective functions and uses.

You now know:

• Main verbs: express actions or states.
• Auxiliary verbs: form tenses and the passive voice.
• Modal verbs: modify the meaning of a main verb.

We have explained the differences between:

• Weak verbs (regular, “ge…t”)
• Strong verbs (irregular, “ge…en”)
• Mixed verbs (features of both types).

Furthermore:

• Separable verbs: prefix separates in the sentence.
• Non-separable verbs: prefix remains attached.
• Reflexive verbs: describe actions that the subject performs on itself.
• Reciprocal verbs: describe mutual actions.

Finally, we have discussed the three moods:

• Indicative (reality)
• Subjunctive (wishes, possibilities)
• Imperative (commands)

and impersonal verbs (natural phenomena).

With this knowledge, you are now better equipped to understand and use the variety of German verbs.

Good luck with your continued learning!

Tip

Learning the different types of verbs in German, such as modal verbs, reflexive verbs, and separable verbs, can seem overwhelming at first.

 

However, it is far more effective to develop a natural feel for these verb types rather than simply memorizing grammar rules.

 

My students at “LGE Premium” learn this approach by immersing themselves in the language – why not try it for yourself?

 

Through engaging audio stories and interactive lessons, they build an intuitive understanding of different verb types and how to use them confidently in sentences.