Strong Verbs and Mixed Verbs
In this lesson you'll learn about German strong verbs and mixed verbs. These verbs are very common, so it's important to learn them. A list of the most common strong and mixed verbs is included.
Flashcards and a quiz are included in the lesson to help you learn the German strong and mixed verbs.
At the end of the lesson is a short story in German, with an English translation, about three friends who are visiting Munich for three days.You can also listen to the story to help you improve your understanding of spoken German.
German Strong Verbs
While most verbs form the past tense by adding te to the end of the verb and form the past participle by adding ge to the beginning of the verb and t to the end, some very common verbs in German change the vowel in the verb to form the past tense instead. The past participle of these verbs also has a vowel change and adds en to the end of the verb instead of t. These verbs are called strong verbs.
English also had the equivalent of strong verbs, though they are called irregular verbs. Some examples in English are drink, eat, and break.
The following table lists some common German strong verbs. Flashcards and a quiz are included at the end of the lesson to help you learn the German strong verbs.
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| infinitive | past | past participle | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| befehlen | befahl | befohlen | command |
| beginnen | begann | begonnen | begin |
| beißen | biss | gebissen | bite |
| bekommen | bekam | bekommen | get |
| bergen | barg | geborgen | rescue |
| biegen | bog | gebogen | bend |
| bieten | bot | geboten | offer |
| bleiben | blieb | geblieben | stay |
| brechen | brach | gebrochen | break |
| essen | aß | gegessen | eat |
| fahren | fuhr | gefahren | drive, ride (bike) |
| fallen | fiel | gefallen | fall |
| fangen | fing | gefangen | catch |
| finden | fand | gefunden | find |
| fleigen | flog | geflogen | fly |
| frieren | fror | gefroren | freeze |
| geben | gab | gegeben | give |
| gehen | ging | gegangen | go |
| geschehen | geschah | geschehen | happen |
| halten | hielt | gehalten | hold |
| heben | hob | gehoben | lift |
| helfen | half | geholfen | help |
| kommen | kam | gekommen | come |
| lassen | ließ | gelassen | let, allow |
| laufen | lief | gelaufen | run |
| lesen | las | gelesen | read |
| liegen | lag | gelegen | lie, recline |
| lügen | log | gelogen | lie, fib |
| meiden | mied | gemieden | avoid |
| nehmen | nahm | genommen | take |
| raten | riet | geraten | advise |
| riechen | roch | gerochen | smell |
| rufen | rief | gerufen | call |
| scheinen | schien | geschienen | shine, seem |
| schieben | schob | geschoben | push |
| schlafen | schlief | geschlafen | sleep |
| schlagen | schlug | geschlagen | hit |
| schließen | schloss | geschlossen | close, shut |
| schneiden | schnitt | geschnitten | cut |
| schreiben | schrieb | geschrieben | write |
| sehen | sah | gesehen | see |
| singen | sang | gesungen | sing |
| sinken | sank | gesunken | sink |
| sitzen | saß | gesessen | sit |
| sprechen | sprach | gesprochen | speak |
| springen | sprang | gesprungen | jump |
| steigen | stieg | gestiegen | climb |
| treffen | traf | getroffen | meet |
| trinken | trank | getrunken | drink |
| vergessen | vergaß | vergessen | forget |
| verlieren | verlor | verloren | lose |
| wachsen | wuchs | gewachsen | grow |
| waschen | wusch | gewaschen | wash |
| werden | wurde | geworden | become |
| werfen | warf | geworfen | throw |
| ziehen | zog | gezogen | pull |
German Mixed Verbs
Some verbs form the past tense by adding t or te to the end of the verb and also have a vowel change. These are called mixed verbs.
English also had the equivalent of mixed verbs, though they are also referred to as irregular verbs. Some examples in English are bring, do, and think.
The following table lists some common German mixed and irregular verbs. Select the flashcards button at the end of the list to help you learn these verbs.
| infinitive | past | past participle | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bringen | brachte | gebracht | bring |
| denken | dachte | gedacht | think |
| kennen | kannte | gekannt | know (a person) |
| nennen | nannte | genannt | call, name |
| rennen | rannte | gerannt | run |
| stehen | stand | gestanden | stand |
| tun | tat | getan | do |
Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the German strong and mixed verbs included in this lesson. Use the German simple past tense for the English verbs in the simple past tense.
German Short Story
Here is a short story in German about three friends, Frieda, Max, and Anna, who spend three days exploring Munich. The English translation of the story is also included to make it easier to understand the story.
There are several examples in the story of strong and mixed verbs. You'll also see a lot of examples of the Präteritum (simple past) of German verbs.
Listen to the story.
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| Drei Freunde, Frieda, Max und Anna, beschlossen, einen dreitägigen Urlaub in München zu verbringen. Sie kamen an einem sonnigen Morgen in der Stadt an und waren voller Vorfreude auf ihre Abenteuer. | Three friends, Frieda, Max, and Anna, decided to spend a three-day vacation in Munich. They arrived in the city on a sunny morning, full of excitement for their adventures. |
| Am ersten Tag besuchten sie den Marienplatz. | On the first day, they visited Marienplatz. |
| "Wow, das Rathaus sieht ja beeindruckend aus!" rief Frieda aus. "Lass uns auf den Turm steigen und die Aussicht genießen." | "Wow, the town hall looks impressive!" exclaimed Frieda. "Let's climb the tower and enjoy the view." |
| Max nickte begeistert. "Gute Idee, Frieda! Ich habe gehört, dass man von dort oben die ganze Stadt sehen kann." | Max nodded enthusiastically. "Good idea, Frieda! I've heard you can see the whole city from up there." |
| Nachdem sie den Turm erklommen hatten, standen sie atemlos oben und sahen über München hinweg. | After climbing the tower, they stood breathlessly at the top, gazing over Munich. |
| "Unglaublich! Das ist definitiv den Aufstieg wert," sagte Anna strahlend. | "Incredible! Definitely worth the climb," said Anna, beaming. |
| Am Abend gingen sie zum Viktualienmarkt, um lokale Spezialitäten zu probieren. | In the evening, they went to Viktualienmarkt to sample local specialties. |
| "Hier, probier mal diesen Obazda," sagte Max und hielt Anna eine kleine Portion des bayerischen Käses hin. | "Here, try this Obazda," said Max, offering Anna a small portion of the Bavarian cheese spread. |
| "Das ist so lecker," antwortete Anna. "Ich könnte mich daran gewöhnen." | "That's so delicious," replied Anna. "I could get used to this." |
| Der zweite Tag führte sie in den Englischen Garten, wo sie Fahrräder mieteten. | The second day led them to the English Garden, where they rented bicycles. |
| "Los geht's! Wer zuerst am Chinesischen Turm ist, gewinnt!" rief Frieda lachend und trat in die Pedale. | "Let's go! First one to the Chinese Tower wins!" called Frieda, laughing as she pedaled away. |
| Max und Anna lachten ebenfalls und folgten ihr. Am Chinesischen Turm angekommen, machten sie eine Pause im Biergarten. | Max and Anna laughed too and followed her. Once they reached the Chinese Tower, they took a break in the beer garden. |
| "Ein kühles Bier zur Belohnung, das ist genau das Richtige," sagte Max und hob sein Glas. "Prost!" | "A cold beer is just the thing we need," said Max, raising his glass. "Cheers!" |
| Am Nachmittag besuchten sie das Deutsche Museum. | In the afternoon, they visited the Deutsches Museum. |
| "Schau dir das an, ein Flugzeug von innen!" rief Frieda aufgeregt. "Ich habe noch nie so etwas gesehen." | "Look at this, an airplane from the inside!" cried Frieda excitedly. "I've never seen anything like it." |
| "Und hier ist ein Nachbau der ersten elektrischen Lokomotive," fügte Max hinzu. "Faszinierend, oder?" | "And here's a replica of the first electric locomotive," added Max. "Fascinating, isn't it?" |
| Am dritten Tag entschieden sie sich für eine Wanderung im Umland von München. | On the third day, they decided to go hiking in the Munich countryside. |
| "Lass uns den Starnberger See besuchen," schlug Anna vor. "Ich habe gehört, dass es dort wunderschön sein soll." | "Let's visit Lake Starnberg," suggested Anna. "I've heard it's beautiful there." |
| Sie fuhren mit dem Zug nach Starnberg und begannen ihre Wanderung entlang des Sees. | They took the train to Starnberg and began their hike along the lake. |
| "Die Landschaft hier ist wirklich traumhaft," sagte Max. "Das ist genau das Richtige, um sich zu erholen." | "The scenery here is really stunning," said Max. "This is just what we needed to relax." |
| Am Abend kehrten sie nach München zurück und genossen ein letztes gemeinsames Abendessen in einem traditionellen bayerischen Restaurant. | In the evening, they returned to Munich and enjoyed one last dinner together in a traditional Bavarian restaurant. |
| "Das war wirklich ein unvergesslicher Urlaub," sagte Anna. "Ich bin so froh, dass wir gekommen sind." | "This was truly an unforgettable vacation," said Anna. "I'm so glad we came." |
| "Ich auch," stimmte Frieda zu. "Wir sollten das unbedingt wiederholen." | "Me too," agreed Frieda. "We should definitely do this again." |
| "Auf jeden Fall," sagte Max. "München hat uns unvergessliche Erinnerungen beschert." | "Absolutely," said Max. "Munich has given us unforgettable memories." |
German Strong Verbs Quiz
Here is an online quiz to help you learn the German strong and mixed verbs included in this lesson. Use the German simple past tense for the English verbs in the simple past tense.