Irregular Verbs – Strong and Mixed Verbs in German Grammar
Introduction
The German language has three verb categories: weak, strong and mixed. Weak or regular verbs follow a fixed conjugation pattern whereas strong and mixed verbs are irregular.
Use this list of strong and weak verbs to help you master irregular German verbs. Below you will find the conjugations for the past tense (3rd column – simple past) as well as the perfect, past perfect and future perfect tenses (4th column – past participle). Some verbs are also irregular in their present form when the stem vowel changes in the 2nd and/or 3rd person singular.
Use the Lingolia verb conjugator to check the conjugation of a particular verb in all forms, tenses and moods.
infinitive | English | word stem: simple past | past participle | vowel change in the present tense |
---|---|---|---|---|
backen | to bake | backte/buk | gebacken | a → ä |
befehlen | to command | befahl | befohlen | e → ie |
beginnen | to begin | begann | begonnen | |
beißen | to bite | biss | gebissen | |
bergen | to rescue | barg | geborgen | e → i |
biegen | to bend | bog | gebogen | |
bieten | to offer | bot | geboten | |
binden | to bind | band | gebunden | |
bitten | to request | bat | gebeten | |
blasen | to blow | blies | geblasen | a → ä |
bleiben | to remain | blieb | geblieben | |
braten | to fry | briet | gebraten | a → ä |
brechen | to break | brach | gebrochen | e → i |
brennen | to burn | brannte | gebrannt | |
bringen | to bring | brachte | gebracht | |
denken | to think | dachte | gedacht | |
dreschen | to thrash | drosch | gedroschen | e → i |
dringen | to get through | drang | gedrungen | |
dürfen | to be allowed (may) | durfte | gedurft | ü → a (all singular forms) |
empfehlen | to recommend | empfahl | empfohlen | e → ie |
erschrecken | to frighten | erschrak | erschrocken | e → i |
essen | to eat | aß | gegessen | e → i |
erwägen | to consider | erwog | erwogen | |
fahren | to drive | fuhr | gefahren | a → ä |
fallen | to fall | fiel | gefallen | a → ä |
fangen | to catch | fing | gefangen | a → ä |
finden | to find | fand | gefunden | |
fliegen | to fly | flog | geflogen | |
fliehen | to flee | floh | geflohen | |
fließen | to flow | floss | geflossen | |
fressen | to devour | fraß | gefressen | e → i |
frieren | to freeze | fror | gefroren | |
gären | to ferment | gor | gegoren | |
gebären | to bear (give birth) | gebar | geboren | ä → ie |
geben | to give | gab | gegeben | e → i |
gedeihen | to thrive | gedieh | gediehen | |
gehen | to go | ging | gegangen | |
gelingen | to be successful | gelang | gelungen | |
gelten | to pertain | galt | gegolten | e → i |
genesen | to recover | genas | genesen | |
genießen | to enjoy | genoss | genossen | |
geschehen | to happen | geschah | geschehen | e → ie |
gewinnen | to win | gewann | gewonnen | |
gießen | to pour | goss | gegossen | |
gleichen | to resemble | glich | geglichen | |
gleiten | to glide | glitt | geglitten | |
graben | to dig | grub | gegraben | a → ä |
greifen | to grasp | griff | gegriffen | |
haben | to have | hatte | gehabt | |
halten | to hold; to stop | hielt | gehalten | a → ä |
hängen | to hang | hing | gehangen | |
hauen | to hit | haute | gehauen | |
heben | to lift | hob | gehoben | |
heißen | to be called | hieß | geheißen | |
helfen | to help | half | geholfen | e → i |
kennen | to know (be familiar with) | kannte | gekannt | |
klingen | to sound; to ring | klang | geklungen | |
kneifen | to pinch | kniff | gekniffen | |
kommen | to come | kam | gekommen | |
können | to be able (can) | konnte | gekonnt | ö → a (all singular forms) |
kriechen | to crawl | kroch | gekrochen | |
laden | to load | lud | geladen | a → ä |
lassen | to let | ließ | gelassen | a → ä |
laufen | to run, walk | lief | gelaufen | a → ä |
leiden | to suffer | litt | gelitten | |
leihen | to lend; to borrow | lieh | geliehen | |
lesen | to read | las | gelesen | e → ie |
liegen | to lie (lie down) | lag | gelegen | |
lügen | to lie (tell a falsehood) | log | gelogen | |
meiden | to avoid | mied | gemieden | |
messen | to measure | maß | gemessen | e → i |
misslingen | to fail | misslang | misslungen | |
mögen | to like | mochte | gemocht | ö → a (all singular forms) |
müssen | to have to (must) | musste | gemusst | ü → u (all singular forms) |
nehmen | to take | nahm | genommen | e → i |
nennen | to call, name | nannte | genannt | |
pfeifen | to whistle | pfiff | gepfiffen | |
preisen | to praise | pries | gepriesen | |
quellen | to gush | quoll | gequollen | e → i |
raten | to guess; to advise | riet | geraten | a → ä |
reiben | to rub | rieb | gerieben | |
reißen | to rip | riss | gerissen | |
reiten | to ride | ritt | geritten | |
rennen | to run, race | rannte | gerannt | |
riechen | to smell | roch | gerochen | |
ringen | to struggle | rang | gerungen | |
rinnen | to trickle | rann | geronnen | |
rufen | to call | rief | gerufen | |
saufen | to guzzle; to tipple | soff | gesoffen | a → ä |
schaffen | to create; to accomplish | schuf | geschaffen | |
scheiden | to separate | schied | geschieden | |
scheinen | to shine; to seem | schien | geschienen | |
schelten | to scold | schalt | gescholten | e → i |
scheren | to shear | schor | geschoren | |
schieben | to push | schob | geschoben | |
schießen | to shoot | schoss | geschossen | |
schinden | to overwork [someone] | schindete | geschunden | |
schlafen | to sleep | schlief | geschlafen | a → ä |
schlagen | to hit, strike | schlug | geschlagen | a → ä |
schleichen | to sneak | schlich | geschlichen | |
schließen | to close | schloss | geschlossen | |
schlingen | to loop; to gulp | schlang | geschlungen | |
schmeißen | to throw, fling | schmiss | geschmissen | |
schmelzen | to melt | schmolz | geschmolzen | e → i |
schneiden | to cut | schnitt | geschnitten | |
schreiben | to write | schrieb | geschrieben | |
schreien | to scream, cry | schrie | geschrien | |
schreiten | to stride, step | schritt | geschritten | |
schweigen | to be silent | schwieg | geschwiegen | |
schwellen | to swell | schwoll | geschwollen | e → i |
schwimmen | to swim | schwamm | geschwommen | |
schwinden | to fade, disappear | schwand | geschwunden | |
schwingen | to sway; to wield | schwang | geschwungen | |
schwören | to swear | schwor | geschworen | |
sehen | to see | sah | gesehen | e → ie |
sein | to be | war | gewesen | irregular (ich bin, du bist, …) |
singen | to sing | sang | gesungen | |
sinken | to sink | sank | gesunken | |
sinnen | to ponder | sann | gesonnen | |
sitzen | to sit | saß | gesessen | |
sollen | to ought to (should) | sollte | gesollt | |
speien | to spit | spie | gespien | |
spinnen | to spin; to be crazy | spann | gesponnen | |
sprechen | to speak | sprach | gesprochen | e → i |
sprießen | to sprout | spross | gesprossen | |
springen | to jump | sprang | gesprungen | |
stechen | to stab, prick | stach | gestochen | e → i |
stehen | to stand | stand | gestanden | |
stehlen | to steal | stahl | gestohlen | e → ie |
steigen | to climb, mount | stieg | gestiegen | |
sterben | to die | starb | gestorben | e → i |
streichen | to cancel, delete | strich | gestrichen | |
streiten | to quarrel | stritt | gestritten | |
tragen | to carry; to wear | trug | getragen | a → ä |
treffen | to meet | traf | getroffen | e → i |
treiben | to compel, drive | trieb | getrieben | |
treten | to step | trat | getreten | e → i (+tt); du trittst |
trinken | to drink | trank | getrunken | |
trügen | to deceive | trog | getrogen | |
tun | to do | tat | getan | |
verderben | to spoil | verdarb | verdorben | e → i |
vergessen | to forget | vergaß | vergessen | e → i |
verlieren | to lose | verlor | verloren | |
wachsen | to grow | wuchs | gewachsen | a → ä |
waschen | to wash | wusch | gewaschen | a → ä |
weichen | to yield, give way | wich | gewichen | |
weisen | to indicate | wies | gewiesen | |
werben | to advertise | warb | geworben | e → i |
werden | to become | wurde | geworden | e → i; irregular: du wirst |
werfen | to throw | warf | geworfen | e → i |
wiegen | to weigh; to cradle | wog | gewogen | |
wissen | to know (a fact) | wusste | gewusst | i → ei (all singular forms) |
wollen | to want | wollte | gewollt | o → i (all singular forms) |
wringen | to wring | wrang | gewrungen | |
ziehen | to pull; to move | zog | gezogen | |
zwingen | to force | zwang | gezwungen |