German Grammar * Review & Exercises

PRESENT TENSE: IRREGULAR FORMS

. wissen müssen ich du er/sie/es weiß weißt weiß muß mußt muß wir ihr sie/Sie wissen wißt wissen müssen müßt müssen

wissen (to know) This verb is formed similar to modal verbs (e.g. müssen): All forms (in present tense) feature a vowel change (-ei-), 1st and 3rd person SG do not have endings (no "-e", no "-t"). The plural is "normal".

sein (to be) - haben (to have) - werden (to become)
These three verbs are slightly irregular. It is important to be familiar with their forms since these verbs can be auxiliaries used for various other things (such as for the perfect tenses, for future tense, or for the passive voice), and they will show up often.

. sein haben werden ich du er/sie/es bin bist ist habe hast hat werde wirst wird wir ihr sie/Sie sind seid sind haben habt haben werden werdet werden

sein is the real odd one and has several different forms. haben and werden are relatively regular, however, haben drops the b for 2nd and 3rd SG, and werden drops the d for 2nd SG and the -t conjugation ending for 3rd SG. has a vowel change e ==> i in 2nd and 3rd SG (which is regular as far as present tense vowel change verbs go; compare for example: geben ==> du gibst, er/sie/es gibt), adds an e in 2nd PL (ihr werdet; this is also regular, though. Compare: reden ==> ihr redet).

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