German grammar: Verbkonjugation: Präsens

What this grammar point covers

The German 'Präsens' is the present tense. It is used to talk about actions happening now, regularly, or in the near future. To use it, you need to change the verb ending depending on who is doing the action (I, you, he/she/it, etc.).

When to use it

Use the German present tense (Präsens) to describe things happening now, things that happen regularly, facts, or something that will happen soon.

Key forms

• ich spiele
• du spielst
• er/sie/es spielt
• wir spielen
• ihr spielt
• sie/Sie spielen

Examples

Tips

• Remember to change the verb ending depending on the subject (who is doing the action).
• Some verbs are irregular and change their stem in the present tense.
• The present tense in German is also used for future actions.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs are irregular and do not follow the regular pattern (e.g., 'sein', 'haben', 'werden', 'gehen').
• A few verbs change their stem vowel in the present tense (e.g., 'fahren' → 'du fährst').