Most German infinitives end in -en, some in
-n only: gehen, wandern,
lächeln
The stem is the infinitive minus this ending -en
or -n, therefore:
gehen ==> geh__ [infinitive ==> stem]
wandern ==> wander_ [infinitive ==> stem]
Conjugation uses a personal pronoun and an appropriate
ending attached to the stem. This chart shows the basic
conjugation (personal pronouns and endings) for Nominative
Singular (= SG) and Plural (= PL):
Pronomen/Person
gehen
wandern
endings only
SINGULAR (SG)
ich
gehe
wandere
-e
du
gehst
wanderst
-st
er/sie/es (man)
geht
wandert
-t
PLURAL (PL)
wir
gehen
wandern
-(e)n
ihr
geht
wandert
-t
sie/Sie
gehen
wandern
-(e)n
The German pronoun man [= one, people (it does not
correspond to the English "man"!)] conjugates with 3rd person SG
forms.
Plural 1st and 3rd and formal forms (wir, sie; Sie) use the
infinitive, thus the conjugation ending is -n and not
-en.
Some Details
If the stem ends in one of these combinations: d -
t - dn - tm - chn - fn -
gn, 2nd and 3rd SG as well as 2nd PL add an -e-
to facilitate pronunciation:
Present tense statements: Ich spreche Deutsch. Three
renditions are possible in English:
I speak German. [regular]
I do speak German. [emphatic]
I am speaking German. [progressive]
However, the other way around, all of the English phrases have
the same German equivalent. Only the main verb is used, but not
the auxiliaries "to do"/"to be".
Questions: English uses forms of "to do" and "to be" as
auxiliaries. German does not; only the main verb is used:
Do you speak German? ==> Sprichst du Deutsch?
Where are you going? ==> Wohin gehst du?
Ich komme morgen. The action is clearly in the
future because "morgen" indicates that. Thus, present tense can
express future. (Note, though, that grammatically speaking the
sentence is in present tense).
To express "continuing action" (something that started in
the past but is still going on), German uses present
tense and words such as schon, seit, schon seit
(for, [ever] since); English uses past tense:
Ich wohneschon vier Jahre hier. I have been living here for four years.
["schon" uses accusative, and focusses on the duration]
Ich wohne (schon) seit 1993 hier. I have been living here since 1993.
["seit" uses dative, and focusses on the starting point]
ÜBUNGEN
If you cannot enter special characters directly:
* Cut & Paste the appropriate character from here: ß -
Ä - ä - Ö - ö - Ü - ü
* Or, for the "ß" use the capital letter "B" (or an "sz"),
for umlauts use these transcriptions: ä = ae; Ä = AE;
ü = ue etc.
A. Was ist die richtige VERBFORM?
Wir nichts. (trinken)
Wo er? (wohnen)
Er das Fenster. (öffnen)
du das Baby? (baden)
Du gut. (tanzen)
Ich nicht oft. (lächeln)
Auf was du? (warten)
Er langsam. (atmen)
Ihr nach Italien? (reisen)
Das Telefon . (klingeln)
B. Was ist das PRONOMEN?
Hans, Rudi, Anita, lernt gern Deutsch?
Peter, Franz und ich, spielen Karten in der Kneipe.
Johanna, woher kommst ?
reite gern, du auch?
C. Was ist die VERB-ENDUNG (Konjugation)?
Spiel du gern Tennis?
Ich spiel Volleyball und Fußball.
Anna hör
sehr gerne Musik; sie lieb die Beatles.
Wir sprech Deutsch in der Klasse.
D. Übersetzen Sie.
The teacher is closing the door.
Does he hear me?
I'll come in five minutes.
We have been working for an hour.
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