German grammar › A1
Present tense — regular verbs
Level A1 · Stem + ending, plus the two spelling exceptions
What is the present tense?
The present tense describes what happens now, what happens regularly, and often what happens soon. German verbs change their ending to match the person: ich spiele, du spielst.
When you use it
- Routines: Ich arbeite jeden Tag.
- Right now: Ich lerne Deutsch.
- Plans with a time word: Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin.
Pattern
verb stem + ending
What changes
the ending changes with the person (ich, du, er …)
Examples
- ich wohne · du wohnst · wir wohnen — I live · you live · we live
Remember: The verb form that changes with the person is called the finite verb — you’ll meet this word in every grammar lesson.
Watch out: Stems ending in -t or -d add an extra e: du arbeitest, er arbeitet — otherwise you can’t say it.
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