German Present Tense: Verbs & Pronouns
To use a German verb in a sentence, you only need two things: the personal pronoun and the right ending. In this lesson you learn the German personal pronouns and the one simple rule for regular verbs in the present tense, with kommen (to come) and wohnen (to live) as examples.
German Personal Pronouns (Personalpronomen)
German has singular and plural pronouns, each in the first, second and third person, just like English.
| Person | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person singular | ich | I |
| 2nd person singular | du | you |
| 3rd person singular | er / sie / es | he / she / it |
| 1st person plural | wir | we |
| 2nd person plural | ihr | you (more than one person, “you guys”) |
| 3rd person plural | sie | they |
There is also a capitalised Sie, the formal “you”. It is used with strangers and in formal situations. The video explains it in a separate lesson, and you can read about it in du or Sie: formal vs informal German.
Regular Verbs (Regelmäßige Verben)
The basic form of a verb is the infinitive. In German it almost always ends in -en, for example kommen (to come). To conjugate a regular verb you do two steps:
- Drop the -en from the infinitive. What is left is the verb stem: kommen becomes komm.
- Add the ending that belongs to the pronoun.
| Pronoun | Ending | kommen (to come) | wohnen (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | ich komme | ich wohne |
| du | -st | du kommst | du wohnst |
| er / sie / es | -t | er kommt | sie wohnt |
| wir | -en | wir kommen | wir wohnen |
| ihr | -t | ihr kommt | ihr wohnt |
| sie (they) | -en | sie kommen | sie wohnen |
That is all you have to remember for regular verbs: e, st, t, en, t, en. Notice that the endings for er/sie/es and ihr are the same (-t), and the endings for wir and sie are the same (-en).
Example Sentences
kommen (to come)
- Ich komme aus Deutschland. (I come from Germany)
- Er kommt aus Frankreich. (He comes from France)
- Sie kommen aus Japan. (They come from Japan)
wohnen (to live)
- Ich wohne in Taipeh. (I live in Taipei)
- Sie wohnt in Berlin. (She lives in Berlin)
- Ihr wohnt in New York. (You (plural) live in New York)
Try It Yourself
The question of the day in the video is Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?). Answer it in a full sentence, for example Ich wohne in ..., and you have practised the ich form and the verb at the same time. You can also add where you come from: Ich komme aus ....
What to Learn Next
Some of the most important verbs do not follow this rule. Continue with German irregular verbs: sein, haben, sehen, lesen, sprechen, then see the bigger picture in the German present tense explained for beginners. To use your new sentences, watch how to introduce yourself in German and learn the pronouns in all cases with German personal pronouns in the Nominativ.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you conjugate regular verbs in German?
Drop the -en from the infinitive and add the ending for the pronoun: -e (ich), -st (du), -t (er/sie/es), -en (wir), -t (ihr), -en (sie). For kommen that gives ich komme, du kommst, er kommt, wir kommen, ihr kommt, sie kommen.
What are the German personal pronouns?
Ich (I), du (you), er/sie/es (he/she/it), wir (we), ihr (you plural) and sie (they). There is also the formal Sie with a capital S.
What is the infinitive in German?
The infinitive is the basic form of the verb, the form you find in a dictionary, for example kommen or wohnen. Most German infinitives end in -en.
What is the difference between sie and Sie?
Small sie means “she” or “they”, depending on the verb ending (sie wohnt = she lives, sie wohnen = they live). Capital Sie is the formal “you”.
How do you say “I live in” in German?
Say Ich wohne in plus the place, for example Ich wohne in Berlin. To ask the question, use Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?).
Want to practise these verb endings with exercises until they feel natural? Our online course for A1 German walks you through the present tense and everything else a beginner needs, with videos, worksheets and a place to ask your questions.
