Strong Verbs and Mixed Verbs
In this lesson, you'll learn the common German strong verbs and mixed verbs, as well as how to use them.
Flashcards and a quiz are included in the lesson to help you learn the German strong and mixed verbs.
Strong Verbs
While most verbs form the past tense by adding te to the end of the verb and create the past participle by adding ge to the front of the verb and t to the end, some very common verbs in German change the vowel in the verb to create 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. Select the flashcards button at the end of the list to help you learn these 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 |
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 |
Verb Flashcards
This section contains 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.
Quiz
Here is an online quiz to help you learn the German strong and mixed verbs included in this lesson.