German Verbs

From ZuluNotes - Free Leaving Cert Notes

This section is important in order to understand the types of verbs and the way they are conjugated with the different pronouns. A thorough grasp of this is crucial if you are to acquire a good writing technique. This section highlights the different types of verbs that you need to be aware of and to use accurately in the Leaving Cert at both Higher and Ordinary Level.

Common regular verbs or weak verbs

Different types of German verbs are treated differently depending on whether they are weak or strong verbs. They are categorised to enable learners of the language to see which way they are treated when they are conjugated. Regular verbs are easier to learn as they follow the regular pattern when forming tenses.

Weak verbs usually end in ‘-en’ and the regular endings are added to the root. There is rarely a vowel change in the root and the past participle is easily formed by prefixing the root with’ge-‘ and suffixing it with ‘-(e)t’. zB: 'gearbeitet'
If a weak verb root features a ‘d’ or a ‘t’ it is necessary to add an ‘e’ to the ending of the 2nd and 3rd person singular and the 2nd person plural. zB: 'du arbeitest, er/sie/man arbeitet, ihr arbeitet'

Common irregular verbs or strong verbs

Approximately 170 irregular verbs exist and it is necessary to learn their forms and the way in which they change as they are conjugated. There is no regular pattern to the behaviour of strong verbs when forming tenses, so it is advisable to learn the new forms as you come across them.

In most cases a vowel change takes place in the root of the verb. This usually affects the 2nd and 3rd person singular in the conjugation of the verb.
The endings remain identical to the regular verb endings.
The past participle is generally formed by prefixing the root with ‘ge‘ and suffixing it with ‘-en’. The vowel changes also feature here. zB: 'geschwommen'

Separable verbs

Some verbs in German are referred to as separable, meaning that when conjugated, the verb prefix is separated from the root. Different prefixes may be added to the root of one verb and the result is an entirely different verb. For example the verb 'kommen' – to come. If the prefix 'be-' is added, the verb now means ‘to get’ or ‘to receive’. If the prefix 'an-' is added, the meaning is altered to mean ‘to arrive’. The prefix 'herein-' changes it once again, this time to the verb 'to appear'. It is necessary to be aware of the different prefixes in German and how they can change the entire meaning of a commonly used verb. When looking up a verb in the dictionary always note the different meanings it can have. Separable verbs have many implications for the syntax of a German sentence:

In a main clause, using a simple tense (ie no auxiliaries), the prefix becomes detached from the main verb and goes to the end of the sentence, zB: 'Der Zug kommt um zwanzig Uhr an' (The train arrives at 8.00).
If the tense is compound (ie formed using an auxiliary or modal verb) the prefix remains with the verb, zB: 'Der Zug sollte um zwanzig Uhr ankommen' (The train should arrive at 8.00).
In the past tense which is also compound, the 'ge' part of the verb is sandwiched between the prefix and the main verb, zB: 'Der Zug ist um zwanzig Uhr angekommen' (The train arrived at 8.00).

Inseparable verbs

Inseparable verbs have inseparable prefixes and they remain fixed to the root at all times. As in ‘separable verbs’, the prefixes added to the root can entirely change the meaning of the verb. However, they are never separated in forming the past participle or a simple tense.

Common inseparable prefixes are as follows: be-, emp-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, zer-'
The following prefixes can be either separable or inseparable: 'durch-, hinter-, über-, um-, unter-, wieder-'
Inseparable verb past participles are not formed by using ’ge-‘, zB: past participle of 'entstehen' is 'entstanden'.

Modal verbs

What are modal verbs and why are they used? Modal verbs are sometimes referred to as auxiliary verbs as they are used in conjunction with other verbs. In using a modal verb, one implies a certain element of doubt. For example: 'Ich möchte nach Deutschland fahren' ('I would like to travel to Germany' – i.e: You are not necessarily travelling to Germany, but you would like to.) They also combine with infinitives to convey possibility, obligation and doubt. Similar modal verbs can also be found in the English language: can, could, may, might, ought, must, have to, etc. Here is a list of the German modals:

'mögen' to like to
'können' to be able to (can)
'wollen' to want to
'sollen' to ought to (should)
'müssen' to have to (must)
'dürfen' to be allowed to (may)

Note that modal verbs alter the structure of a German sentence by sending the second verb in its infinitive form to the end of the sentence. In the example sentence 'fahren' is the second verb. Modal verbs are irregular in the singular form. Note too that other auxiliary verbs also exist and their structural behaviour within a sentence is the same as with the modal verbs. They are as follows:

'wissen' to know
'haben' to have
'sein' to be
'werden' to become

Reflexive verbs

What is a reflexive verb and why are they used? A reflexive verb is a verb that is conjugated with a reflexive pronoun and means something different if used without the reflexive pronoun. Have a look at the following sentences for example:

'Ich wasche mich jeden Tag'. (I wash myself every morning)
'Ich wasche den Wagen'. (I wash the car)

In the first sentence the infinitive is 'sich waschen' and in the second case it is just 'waschen'. Reflexive verbs are used to indicate something being done to oneself, (e.g. to wash oneself) or to convey interaction between two people, e.g. 'Wir sehen uns ab und zu'. (' We see each other now and then'). Note that sometimes individual parts of the human body are objects within the reflexive verb. If this is the case then one must employ the dative of the reflexive pronoun. For example, 'Ich wasche mir die Füße'. (' I wash my feet') Here is a list of some commonly used reflexive verbs.