Top 40 German Irregular Verbs | B1 Level

According to the official Goethe word list, German has 121 irregular verbs at the A1-B1 levels, but you do not need to learn them all at once. This lesson focuses on the Top 40 irregular verbs for B1, and knowing these 40 will help you get through almost any B1 text or conversation. Below you will find a reference table with the main forms of 40 high-frequency irregular verbs, plus tips for learning them efficiently.

What Makes a Verb Irregular?

Irregular (strong) verbs change their stem vowel in the Präteritum and often in the past participle. Many also change the vowel in the er/sie/es form of the Präsens (sprechen becomes "er spricht", fahren becomes "er fährt"). Regular verbs add "-te" in the Präteritum and "ge-...-t" in the Perfekt, but irregular verbs must be learned as a set of forms: Infinitiv, Präsens (er/sie/es), Präteritum, Perfekt.

40 Important Irregular Verbs for B1

Here are 40 high-frequency irregular verbs you will meet all the time at B1 level. The Perfekt column shows whether the verb uses "haben" or "sein".

Tips for Learning Irregular Verbs

• Learn all four forms together, not only the infinitive. It is much easier to remember "sprechen – spricht – sprach – gesprochen" than each form alone.
• Look for patterns. Many verbs share vowel changes, such as schreiben – schrieb – geschrieben, bleiben – blieb – geblieben and steigen – stieg – gestiegen (ei – ie – ie).
• Remember "sein" verbs. Verbs of movement or change of state (fliegen, laufen, wachsen, schwimmen) form the Perfekt with "sein." See our lesson on the verbs that take "sein" in the Perfekt.
• Practise the Präteritum in context. Our lesson on the Präteritum shows how these forms are used in writing and storytelling.

A few verbs are "mixed": bringen – brachte – gebracht, denken – dachte – gedacht and kennen – kannte – gekannt change their stem vowel like irregular verbs, but keep the regular "-te" and "-t" endings.

Häufig gestellte Fragen (FAQ)

How many irregular verbs are there in German at B1 level?

According to the official Goethe word list mentioned in the video, there are 121 irregular verbs in total. Learning the 40 most common ones covers the great majority of what you will meet in B1 texts and conversations.

What are the four forms I need to learn for each irregular verb?

Learn the infinitive, the er/sie/es form of the present tense, the Präteritum and the Perfekt, for example: sprechen – spricht – sprach – hat gesprochen.

Which irregular verbs form the Perfekt with "sein"?

Mostly verbs of movement or change of state, such as fliegen, laufen, schwimmen, steigen, wachsen and bleiben. "Sein" and "werden" also use "sein".

What are mixed verbs in German?

Mixed verbs, such as bringen (brachte, gebracht), denken (dachte, gedacht) and kennen (kannte, gekannt), change their stem vowel like irregular verbs but use the regular endings -te and -t.

What is the best way to memorize German irregular verbs?

Learn the four forms together, group verbs by vowel pattern (for example ei – ie – ie), and practise them in full example sentences in both the Präteritum and the Perfekt.

If you want a clear path through everything B1 asks of you, including these irregular verbs, our complete B1 German online course gives you a guided route with lessons you can revisit any time.