Irregular verbs in German don’t stick to the predictable rules that regular verbs follow (such as sein vs. mahlen). Instead, they show unique changes in their stems and endings across various tenses. By taking a look at different categories of irregular German verbs, you’ll learn why certain verbs change in unexpected ways.
This guide explores the recurring patterns within these types of German irregular verbs, explaining how they function across past, present, and future tenses. With practical conjugation charts and straightforward explanations, you’ll build the skills needed to handle German irregular verbs confidently.
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Debunking the challenge of German irregular verbs
A common misconception is that there are so many irregular German verbs that learning how to speak German is especially difficult. The reality is the German language only has around 200 irregular verbs! That may seem like a large number, but compared to certain Romance languages (like Italian’s approximately 500 irregular verbs), the German language is comparatively much simpler in this aspect of language.
The 3 types of German irregular verbs
All irregular German verbs can be neatly divided into three categories: strong verbs, mixed verbs, and modal verbs. These categories of irregular verbs stand in contrast to regular verbs, also known as weak verbs, which follow standard German conjugation rules across German cases and tenses.
- Strong verbs are characterized by vowel changes in their Stamm (stem), particularly in the past tenses and the past participle forms. They also don’t follow regular conjugation patterns for verb endings in past tenses.
- Mixed verbs combine elements of both regular (also known as weak) verbs and strong verbs. These irregular verbs often see changes to their Stamm in past tenses, but follow the regular verb ending conjugation rules for weak verb endings.
- Modal verbs are a specialized group of irregular words that express necessity, possibility, desire, or permission. They have unique conjugation patterns and usually don’t follow the standard conjugation for weak or strong verbs.
Irregular strong verbs
Strong verbs make up the majority of irregular German verbs. Pay close attention to how the 85 examples below change dramatically in each tense for the pronouns he/she/it.
| German Verb | Present (er/sie/es) | Simple Past | Present Perfect | English |
| befehlen | befiehlt | befahl | befohlen | to command |
| beginnen | beginnt | began | begonnen | to begin |
| betrügen | betrügt | betrog | betrogen | to deceive/cheat |
| binden | bindet | band | gebunden | to bind |
| bitten | bitten | bat | gebeten | to ask/request |
| bleiben | bleibt | blieb | geblieben | to remain |
| braten | brät | briet | gebraten | to roast |
| brechen | bricht | brach | gebrochen | to break |
| dreschen | drischt | drosch | gedroschen | to thrash |
| dringen | dringt | drang | gedrungen | to urge |
| empfangen | empfängt | empfing | empfangen | to receive |
| empfehlen | empfiehlt | empfahl | empfohlen | to recommend |
| entscheiden | entscheidet | entschied | entschieden | to decide |
| erlöschen | erlischt | erlosch | erloschen | to expire |
| erschrecken | erschrickt | erschrak | erschrocken | to be frightened |
| essen | isst | aß | gegessen | to eat |
| fahren | fährt | fuhr | gefahren | to drive |
| fallen | fällt | fiel | gefallen | to fall |
| fangen | fängt | fing | gefangen | to catch |
| finden | findet | fand | gefunden | to find |
| fliegen | fliegt | flog | geflogen | to fly |
| fliehen | flieht | floh | geflohen | to flee |
| fressen | frisst | fraß | gefressen | to eat (done by animals) |
| frieren | friert | fror | gefroren | to freeze/be cold |
| geben | gibt | gab | gegeben | to give |
| gedeihen | gedeiht | gedieh | gediehen | to flourish |
| gehen | geht | ging | gegangen | to go |
| gelten | gilt | galt | gegolten | to be valid/of worth |
| genießen | genießt | genoss | genossen | to enjoy |
| gerinnen | gerinnt | gerann | geronnen | to coagulate |
| gießen | gießt | goss | gegossen | to pour |
| gleichen | gleicht | glich | geglichen | to resemble |
| graben | gräbt | grub | gegraben | to dig |
| halten | hält | hielt | gehalten | to hold |
| hängen | hängt | hing | gehangen | to be hanging |
| helfen | hilft | half | geholfen | to help |
| klingen | klingt | klang | geklungen | to sound |
| kommen | kommt | kam | gekommen | to come |
| kriechen | kriecht | Kroch | gekrochen | to crawl |
| laden | lädt | lud | geladen | to load |
| laufen | läuft | lief | gelaufen | to run |
| leihen | verleiht | lieh | geliehen | to lend/borrow |
| lesen | liest | las | gelesen | to read |
| liegen | liegt | lag | gelegen | to lie (position) |
| melken | melkt | molk | gemolken | to milk |
| messen | misst | maß | gemessen | to measure |
| nehmen | nimmt | nahm | genommen | to take |
| raten | rät | riet | greaten | to advise |
| reiben | reibt | rieb | gerieben | to rub |
| reißen | reißt | riss | gerissen | to rip |
| riechen | riecht | roch | gerochen | to smell |
| ringen | ringt | rang | gerungen | to struggle |
| rufen | ruft | rief | gerufen | to call |
| schelten | scheltet | schalt | gescholten | to scold |
| schieben | schiebt | schob | geschoben | to push |
| schlafen | schläft | schlief | geschlafen | to sleep |
| schlagen | schlägt | schlug | geschlagen | to hit/strike |
| schließen | schließt | schloss | geschlossen | to close |
| schneiden | schneidet | schnitt | geschnitten | to cut |
| schreiben | schreibt | schrieb | geschrieben | to write |
| schwimmen | schwimmt | schwamm | geschwommen | to swim |
| sehen | sieht | sah | gesehen | to see |
| singen | singt | sang | gesungen | to sing |
| sitzen | sitzt | saß | gesessen | to sit |
| spinnen | spinnt | spann | gesponnen | to spin |
| steigen | steigt | stieg | gestiegen | to climb |
| stinken | stinkt | stank | gestunken | to stink |
| stoßen | stößt | stieß | gestoßen | to bump |
| tragen | trägt | trug | getragen | to carry/wear |
| treffen | trifft | traf | getroffen | to meet |
| treten | tritt | trat | getreten | to step |
| trinken | trinkt | trank | getrunken | to drink |
| tun | tut | tat | getan | to do |
| verbinden | verbindet | verband | verbunden | to connect |
| verderben | verdirbt | verdarb | verdorben | to spoil |
| vergessen | vergisst | vergaß | vergessen | to forget |
| verlieren | verliert | verlor | verloren | to lose |
| verschwinden | verschwindet | verschwand | verschwunden | to disappear |
| wachsen | wächst | wuchs | gewachsen | to grow |
| werben | wirbt | warb | geworben | to advertise |
| werfen | wirft | warf | geworfen | to throw |
| wiegen | wiegt | wog | gewogen | to weigh |
| wringen | wringt | wrang | gewrungen | to wring |
| ziehen | zieht | zog | gezogen | to pull |
| zwingen | zwingt | zwang | gezwungen | to force |
To illustrate the how these irregular verbs change compared to a regular verb, look at a couple of example sentences:
- Irregular (Strong) Verb: fahren (to drive)
- Present: Ich fahre jeden Tag zur Arbeit. = I drive to work every day.
- Simple Past: Ich fuhr gestern nach Hause. = I drove home yesterday.
- Regular Verb: spielen (to play)
- Present: Ich spiele jeden Abend Klavier. = I play the piano every evening.
- Simple Past: Ich spielte gestern Klavier. = I played the piano yesterday.
Here, fahren changes its stem vowel from “a” in the present tense to “u” and does not end in the standard -te verb ending used in the simple past. In contrast, regular verb spielen follows a predictable pattern of changing the -e ending from the present tense to -te in the simple past tense and shows no changes to its stem.
Mixed irregular verbs
The second largest group of German irregular verbs is mixed verbs which generally follow regular verb ending conjugation rules but still have some form of Stamm (stem) change.
See the conjugation chart below for 10 examples of common mixed verbs:
| German Verb | Present (er/sie/es) | Simple Past | Present Perfect | English |
| brennen | brennt | brannte | gebrannt | to burn |
| bringen | bringt | brachte | gebracht | to bring |
| denken | denkt | dachte | gedacht | to think |
| haben | hast | hatte | gehabt | to have |
| kennen | kennt | kannte | gekannt | to know (familiar) |
| nennen | nennt | nannte | genannt | to call/name |
| rennen | rennt | rannte | gerannt | to run |
| senden | sendet | sandte | gesandt | to send |
| verbringen | verbringt | verbrachte | verbracht | to spend (time) |
| wenden | wendet | wandte | gewandt | to turn |
Irregular modal verbs
Irregular modal verbs are a much shorter list of only six German words. These verbs help to express a possibility, intent, or necessity like asking permission. Check out their unique conjugations across tenses here:
| German Verb | Present (er/sie/es) | Simple Past | Present Perfect | English |
| dürfen | darf | durfte | gedurft | may/to be allowed to |
| können | kann | konnte | gekonnt | can/to be able to |
| mögen | mag | mochte | gemocht | to like |
| müssen | muss | musste | gemusst | must/to have to |
| wollen | will | wollte | gewollt | to want |
| sollen | soll | sollte | gesollt | should/to be supposed to |
Tips for remembering irregular German verbs
As is the case with memorizing any vocabulary list, like German pronouns, some pro tips for helping them stick in your mind are always helpful. Some methods, like the use of flashcards and repetition, can take the magic out of learning a new language by making it feel like a cumbersome task. Instead, enrich your German language-learning experience by trying out one of these methods.
Group by patterns
Identify and categorize irregular German verbs by their similar conjugation patterns. This guide covers all the types of German irregular verbs, but consider how they could be further grouped by things like their Stamm (stem) changes. Notice how many verbs change a vowel in their Stamm in certain similar orders and practice that set of verbs together.
Engage with entertainment media
Listen to songs, videos, and podcasts in German and listen for irregular verbs. Listening to native speakers use these verbs in an entertaining format provides wonderful context and enriches your language learning experience.
Set reasonable goals
Rome (or should we say, Frankfurt?) wasn’t built in a day! Consider spacing out your studying sessions by taking on smaller groups of verbs at a time rather than trying to tackle the full list of over 200 irregular German verbs at once. This will help maintain your motivation and cut down on mental stress.
Frequently asked questions about German irregular verbs
You’ll find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about German irregular verbs below to help you understand what makes them irregular and why they’re important to learn.
What makes a verb irregular in German?
Irregular verbs don’t follow the standard German conjugation patterns seen in regular verbs. They often involve changes in the verb stem, for instance, and need to be memorized separately from the list of regular verbs.
What’s the difference between strong and mixed verbs?
Strong verbs undergo stem vowel changes and have unique past participle forms, while mixed verbs combine characteristics of both regular and irregular verbs. Mixed verbs often have regular endings but irregular stems. For example, strong verbs, like finden (to find), undergo stem vowel changes in the simple past (fand) and have unique past participles (gefunden). Mixed verbs, such as denken (to think), keep regular endings in the present but change their stem in the past (dachte) and form participles irregularly (gedacht).
Why are irregular verbs so important to learn?
Irregular verbs are essential in everyday conversation because they include common actions like sehen (to see), gehen (to go), and essen (to eat). For example, when you retell what you did last night, you might say Ich ging ins Kino (I went to the cinema). Or when sharing a meal, you could have expressed, Ich aß gern Pizza (I liked to eat pizza).
This knowledge helps you not only convey your thoughts more accurately, but gives you the ability to communicate across different tenses correctly. Ultimately, your language skills will become more practical and engaging in everyday conversation.
Do modal verbs count as irregular verbs?
Yes! German modal verbs like können (to be able to) and wollen (to want) are considered irregular. They’re separated from regular verbs because they change both in the Stamm (stem) and their endings when they are conjugated to different tenses. Modal verbs also affect sentence structure, making them unique from other verbs.
How many irregular verbs are there in German?
The German language is estimated to have around 200 irregular verbs. Compared to Romance languages such as Spanish (around 400 irregular verbs) or Italian (over 500 irregular verbs), German keeps this aspect of language relatively simple with fewer irregular verbs.
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