Here are 100 everyday German verbs in the infinitive, from sein and haben to entscheiden. Learn these five first: sein (to be), haben (to have), gehen (to go), machen (to do, to make) and wollen (to want). Add können (can) and müssen (must), which the list leaves out, and learn how separable verbs such as anrufen split.
- Words
- 100 verbs, in the infinitive
- Endings
- -en, plus -ern and -eln (feiern, lächeln)
- Variety
- Germany German
- Level
- A1–A2
100 common German verbs
Verbs are given in the infinitive, the form a dictionary lists. Reflexive verbs show sich. The Contos web app uses this pack for flashcard review.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| sein | to be |
| haben | to have |
| machen | to do |
| gehen | to go |
| kommen | to come |
| sagen | to say |
| sprechen | to talk |
| wissen | to know |
| denken | to think |
| sehen | to see |
| wollen | to want |
| benutzen | to use |
| finden | to find |
| geben | to give |
| erklären | to explain |
| arbeiten | to work |
| anrufen | to phone |
| versuchen | to try |
| fragen | to ask |
| brauchen | to need |
| fühlen | to feel |
| ausgehen | to go out |
| legen | to put |
| helfen | to help |
| anfangen | to start |
| zeigen | to show |
| spielen | to play |
| rennen | to run |
| umziehen | to move house |
| wohnen | to live |
| glauben | to believe |
| bringen | to bring |
| schreiben | to write |
| sich setzen | to sit down |
| verlieren | to lose |
| bezahlen | to pay |
| treffen | to meet |
| lernen | to learn |
| ändern | to change |
| verstehen | to understand |
| essen | to eat |
| trinken | to drink |
| schlafen | to sleep |
| öffnen | to open |
| schließen | to close |
| kaufen | to buy |
| verkaufen | to sell |
| warten | to wait |
| lesen | to read |
| spazieren gehen | to go for a walk |
| kochen | to cook |
| waschen | to wash |
| lieben | to love |
| mögen | to like |
| sich erinnern | to remember |
| vergessen | to forget |
| reisen | to travel |
| ankommen | to arrive |
| zurückkommen | to come back |
| weitermachen | to continue |
| wählen | to choose |
| schicken | to send |
| tragen | to wear |
| weinen | to cry |
| lachen | to laugh |
| tanzen | to dance |
| singen | to sing |
| schwimmen | to swim |
| fahren | to drive |
| putzen | to clean |
| beenden | to finish |
| aufwachen | to wake up |
| aufstehen | to get up |
| zuhören | to listen |
| suchen | to look for |
| nehmen | to take |
| unterrichten | to teach |
| studieren | to study |
| bauen | to build |
| besuchen | to visit |
| lächeln | to smile |
| fliegen | to fly |
| springen | to jump |
| fallen | to fall |
| werfen | to throw |
| übersetzen | to translate |
| sich ausruhen | to rest |
| zählen | to count |
| schneiden | to cut |
| zeichnen | to draw |
| antworten | to answer |
| hineingehen | to enter |
| planen | to plan |
| reparieren | to repair |
| berühren | to touch |
| teilen | to share |
| feiern | to celebrate |
| einladen | to invite |
| danken | to thank |
| entscheiden | to decide |
Which German verbs are irregular in the present tense?
Regular verbs take the stem and add -e, -st, -t: ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt. The most frequent verbs break the pattern. Sein and haben are fully irregular, and many strong verbs change their vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms only: e becomes i or ie, a becomes ä.
| Verb | ich | du | er, sie, es |
|---|---|---|---|
| sein (to be) | bin | bist | ist |
| haben (to have) | habe | hast | hat |
| wissen (to know) | weiß | weißt | weiß |
| wollen (to want) | will | willst | will |
| sprechen (to speak) | spreche | sprichst | spricht |
| sehen (to see) | sehe | siehst | sieht |
| nehmen (to take) | nehme | nimmst | nimmt |
| fahren (to drive, to go) | fahre | fährst | fährt |
| essen (to eat) | esse | isst | isst |
Two verbs every learner needs are missing from the list: können (can: ich kann, du kannst, er kann) and müssen (must, have to: ich muss, du musst, er muss). With these and wollen, the second verb goes to the end in the infinitive: Ich muss heute arbeiten. Werden (to become) is missing too; you need it for the future: Es wird kalt.
Separable verbs: anrufen, aufstehen, einladen
A large group of verbs has a stressed prefix that leaves the verb in a normal sentence and goes to the end. In the list: anrufen, anfangen, ankommen, ausgehen, aufwachen, aufstehen, einladen, hineingehen, umziehen, weitermachen, zuhören, zurückkommen. In the perfect tense, ge- goes in the middle: angerufen, eingeladen, zugehört.
Renate ruft die ganze Familie an.Prefixes that never split
The prefixes be-, ver-, er-, ent- stay attached and the past participle takes no ge-: bezahlen → bezahlt, besuchen → besucht, verstehen → verstanden, vergessen → vergessen, erklären → erklärt, entscheiden → entschieden. Verbs ending in -ieren also drop ge-: studieren → studiert, reparieren → repariert.
Haben or sein in the past?
Most verbs form the perfect tense with haben: Ich habe gegessen. Verbs of moving from one place to another, and of changing state, use sein: Ich bin gegangen, Sie ist angekommen, Er ist aufgewacht. Sein and bleiben take sein as well: Ich bin zu Hause geblieben.
Which German verbs do learners mix up?
Several pairs in this list split one English verb into two German ones.
- wissen is to know a fact: Ich weiß, wo er wohnt. Kennen (not in the list, but essential) is to know a person, a place or a thing: Ich kenne ihn seit Jahren.
- gehen is to go on foot; for a trip by train, car or bus use fahren: Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Köln. Ich gehe nach Köln usually means you are moving there to live or work.
- lernen is to learn or revise; studieren is to study at university: Sie studiert Medizin.
- mögen is to like a thing: Ich mag Kaffee. For activities, add gern to the verb: Ich lese gern. Lieben is strong; with family and friends people often say Ich hab dich lieb.
- legen is to put something down flat; to stand something up is stellen: Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch, ich stelle die Flasche auf den Tisch.
- tragen is to wear and also to carry: Sie trägt einen Mantel can mean either, and context decides.
Kai kennt Marcus von irgendwo.Verbs that take the dative
Helfen, danken, zuhören and antworten take their person in the dative, unlike English: Kannst du mir helfen?, Hör mir zu!, Ich danke Ihnen.
Aber wer hilft ihr?When these feel solid, move on to the 100 useful everyday German verbs that come next.
Read an A1 German story and tap any verb to see what it means in that sentence.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Which German verbs should I learn first?
Sein, haben, werden, können, müssen, wollen and gehen. They are irregular, they appear in almost every sentence, and with können and müssen plus an infinitive you can already say what you can and must do.
What is a separable verb in German?
A verb with a stressed prefix, such as an in anrufen, that moves to the end of a main clause in the present and simple past: Ich rufe dich morgen an. In the infinitive and in subordinate clauses it stays joined: weil ich dich anrufe.
What is the difference between wissen and kennen?
Wissen is knowing a fact or information: Ich weiß die Antwort. Kennen is being familiar with a person, place or thing: Ich kenne Berlin. If you could say "be acquainted with" in English, use kennen.
Is it ich habe gegangen or ich bin gegangen?
Ich bin gegangen. Verbs of movement from one place to another form the perfect with sein: ich bin gefahren, ich bin gekommen, ich bin geflogen.