Präsens (German simple present tense) is used to describe what’s going on in the here and now. You’ll use this tense the most out of all the German tenses in daily conversation, and you can even use it to describe the future in the majority of situations with a small adjustment.
Find out how to use Präsens across the four German moods and get clear steps and formulas to make your own, grammatically correct German present tense sentences.
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The German present tense across moods
The German language uses four “moods” with Präsens (simple present tense) that help show how the speaker or writer feels about the information being shared through verb Konjugation (conjugation).
These moods tell your audience whether you think something is real or not in the present moment, or if you’re giving some sort of command or advice that should be followed right away.
| German Tense | When to use | Example |
| Indikativ Präsens (simple present tense, indicative mood) | Describing present actions or truths believed to be factual. | Ich studiere heute Deutsch. (I am studying German today.) |
| Imperativ Präsens (simple present tense, imperative mood) | Giving commands, warnings, or advice. | Geh nach Hause! (Go back home!) |
| Konjunktiv II Präsens (simple present tense, subjunctive mood) | Communicating hypothetical scenarios, wishes, and polite requests. | Ich würde schnell laufen. (I would run quickly.) |
| Konjunktiv I Präsens (simple present tense, subjunctive mood) | Reporting what someone else said without confirming it as true. | Er sagt, er liebe Brezeln. (He says he loves pretzels.) |
Indikativ Präsens (simple present tense)
The most commonly used German present tense is Indikativ Präsens, which is the simple present tense in the indicative mood. This is also the most common mood, because it’s used with the tenses to describe what you believe to be true. It communicates that you’re speaking or writing about information you feel is accurate.
When to use the German Indikativ Präsens
You’ll use the German Indikativ Präsens (simple present tense, indicative mood) in daily conversation to describe ongoing or current events you believe are really happening and to ask questions to which you’d like a factual answer.
It’s important to note that in German, you’ll also use the Indikativ Präsens when you would normally opt for the present progressive in English. The German language makes things simpler by combining the simple present with the present progressive.
So, the sentence “I eat cheese” and “I am eating cheese” are both translated as Ich esse Käse. If you want to clarify between the two, you can include a term that gives time context like jetzt (now) or im Moment (at the moment).
| Indikativ Präsens Use | German Example | English Translation |
| Actions that are happening right now and are ongoing. | Das Mädchen schreibt. | The girl is writing. |
| Habitual or regularly occurring actions. | Ich trinke morgens Kaffee. | I drink coffee in the morning. |
| General facts or universal truths. | Diese Straße ist in Paris. | This street is in Paris. |
| Ongoing conditions, identities, or qualities. | Ich heiße Thomas. | I am called Thomas. |
How to conjugate regular verbs in Präsens
When verbs follow the standard German conjugation rules, they’re known as regular verbs and they’re an excellent place to start for new German learners.
To conjugate regular verbs in the Präsens (simple present tense), you’ll follow a two-step process:
- Make a “verb stem” out of your chosen verb by removing the ending of the verb, usually either -e or -en.
- Add a new ending to your German verb of choice according to the subject of your sentence.
For example, to conjugate the verb brauchen (to need) you’ll change it to agree with the subject ich (I). First, take away the -en ending to make the verb stem brauch-. Then, add the -e ending according to the subject ich to transform it into brauche.
- Ich brauche einen Stift. = I need a pen.
You’ll add the -e ending because it’s the appropriate ending for any verb matched up with ich, but each pronoun has its own ending for verbs. For proper nouns, like “Beth,” “the chair,” or “Rosetta Stone,” you’ll treat them as though they were er/sie/es (he/she/it).
| German Pronoun | Präsens Verb Endings | Example with brauchen |
| ich I | -e | brauche |
| du you (informal singular) | -st | brauchst |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | -t | braucht |
| wir we | -en | brauchen |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | -t | braucht |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | -en | brauchen |
- Der Mann fährt Auto. = The man is driving a car.
- Wir tragen Hüte. = We are wearing hats.
- Ich komme aus Deutschland. = I come from Germany.
Strangers, professional acquaintances, and those older than yourself require the formal Sie (you), while friends, family, and those younger than yourself use the informal du (you, singular) and ihr (you, plural). This will affect how you conjugate the verb.
Conjugating irregular verbs in Präsens
Irregular verbs play by slightly different conjugation rules than regular verbs. They keep the same endings according to the subject of your sentence as you see in the table for regular verbs, but they also sometimes undergo what’s known as a “stem vowel change.”
A stem vowel change will result in the vowel within your verb stem either adding an umlaut or changing into another vowel entirely.
The most common vowel stem changes in Präsens (simple present tense) is from an e to an i or ie, as well as an a changing to an ä.
- lesen (to read) → du liest (you read)
- fahren (to drive) → sie fährt (she drives)
- helfen (to help) → er hilft (he helps)
- schlafen (to sleep) → es schläft (it sleeps)
Indikativ Präsens sentence structure made simple
The German Präsens tense uses a subject-verb-object order of wording. This means the subject (the person, place, or thing performing the action) comes first, followed by your verb describing the action itself, like laufen (to run) or spielen (to play), and then the object (the person, place, or thing receiving the action).
[subject] + [verb, conjugated] + [objects/additional info]
- Er hat Bücher. = He has books.
Notice how the verb hat (has) is conjugated according to the subject er (he) in the Präsens tense.
Forming questions in Präsens
For questions, you just have to swap your verb and your subject around so that your verb comes first, followed by the subject. Objects of the sentence will remain at the end of the expression, as they do in statements.
[verb, conjugated] + [subject] + [object/additional info]
- Kommen wir zu früh? = Did we come too early?
- Hast du eine Frage? = Do you have a question?
Using time adverbs with Präsens to talk about the near future
You’ll also notice Germans using Präsens to talk about future events without using the German future tense. They do this by combining the present simple tense with adverbs of time.
For example, in the sentence “I am running there tomorrow,” the term “tomorrow” describes “when” you’re running. Even though the sentence is in the present tense, you’re describing a future event.
In the same way, you can use adverbs of time with the German present tense to talk about future events. Most commonly, adverbs of time are placed after your conjugated, present-tense verb.
[subject] + [verb, conjugated] + [time adverb] + [objects]
- Die Bücherei öffnet später als die Bäckerei. = The library opens later than the bakery.
- Der Mann ist gleich bereit zur Arbeit zu gehen. = The man is almost ready to go to work.
Keep in mind that Germans prefer precision in time-related conversation. It’s better to say Ich komme in 15 Minuten (I’ll arrive in 15 minutes) than it is to say Ich komme später (I’ll arrive later).
| German Adverb of Time | Pronunciation | English |
| morgen | MOR-gen | tomorrow |
| später | SHPAY-ter | later |
| bald | bahlt | soon |
| gleich | gl-eye-kh | in a moment, almost |
| demnächst | dehm-NEKHST | in the near future |
Forming questions about the future with Präsens
To make a question with an adverb of time in the present tense, just swap your subject and verb so that your verb comes first, followed by the subject.
[verb, conjugated] + [subject] + [time adverb] + [objects]
- Wird es morgen regnen? = Is it going to rain tomorrow?
- Darf ich heute Abend mit Melanie ins Kino gehen? = May I go to the movies with Melanie this evening?
Imperativ Präsens (simple present, imperative mood)
When you want to give commands, warnings, or advice, you’ll use the Imperativ Präsens (simple present tense, imperative mood). The German imperative mood can only be formed using Präsens.
- Gehen wir! = Let’s go!
- Komm bitte herein. = Come in, please.
Forming the Imperativ Präsens
Your verb will come first in the sentence, followed by your subject. If your subject is either Sie (you, formal) or wir (let’s), the verb will end in -en, followed by the subject. Should your subject be something other than Sie or wir, then drop off the ending and don’t include the subject.
[verb, Imperativ conjugated] + [subject, only if it’s Sie or wir] + [objects/additional info]
You don’t include the subject in the German imperative when it’s not Sie or wir because your audience will know by context that you’re talking to them. For example, in English we say “go to the store,” rather than “you go to the store” as a command. The “you” is implied.
Konjunktiv II Präsens (simple present, subjunctive II mood)
Konjunktiv II (subjunctive II mood) combines with the German present tense to describe hypothetical scenarios, wishes, and polite requests. If the Indicativ (indicative mood) indicates reality, think of Konjunktiv II as communicating a nonreality. You’re not giving the impression that what you say is how things presently are.
You will often use Konjunktiv II Präsens to:
- Politely ask for a refill, or assistance in choosing a movie to watch.
- Express to friends or colleagues what you’d like to have or do.
- Give advice without sounding too direct.
- Make a suggestion.
Conjugating Konjunktiv II Präsens
There is a specific set of verb endings used to conjugate verbs in the Konjunktiv II mood. To form these endings, start with the Präteritum (simple German past tense) stem of your chosen verb and add an umlaut to the vowel where applicable.
- fahren (to drive) → führ- (would drive, Konjunktive II verb stem)
- kommen (to come) → käm- (would come, Konjunktive II verb stem)
Then you simply add the Konjunktiv II ending to your verb stem according to the subject of your sentence.
| German Subject Pronoun | Konjunktiv II Verb Endings | Example With fahren |
| ich I | -e | führe |
| du you (informal singular) | -est | führest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | -e | führe |
| wir we | -en | führen |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | -et | führet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | -en | führen |
Using würden Konjunktiv II Präsens
Because Konjunktiv II verbs in German often look similar to other verb mood forms, Germans generally prefer to use the verb würden (would) and place their main verb at the end of the sentence in its infinitive form.
- Ich würde heute zu Hause bleiben. = I would stay home today.
- Wir würden dir helfen. = We would help you.
This makes it easier for listeners to identify that you’re speaking in Konjunktiv II, and not another, similarly conjugated mood.
Germans commonly speak in Konjunktiv II Präsens by:
- Placing würden (conjugated according to subject) as the second word of the sentence.
- Moving their main verb to the end of the sentence in its infinitive form.
[subject] + [würden, Konjunktiv conjugated] + [objects/additional info] + [main verb, infinitive]
| German Subject Pronoun | Würden Conjugation |
| ich I | würde |
| du you (informal singular) | würdest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | würde |
| wir we | würden |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | würdet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | würden |
Konjunktiv I Präsens (simple present, subjunctive I mood)
To report what someone else said, use Konjunktiv I Präsens (simple present, subjunctive I mood). Imagine it as telling your coworker “Our boss says we have tomorrow off work.”
- Er sagt, er brauche mehr Zeit. = He says that he needs more time.
- Sie behauptet, sie wisse es nicht. = She claims she doesn’t know.
In German, forming Konjunktiv I in Präsens requires two steps:
- Add a reporting clause to the start of the sentence, such as er sagt (he says) or sie behauptet (she claims), followed by a comma.
- Conjugate your main verb according to the subject and the Konjunktiv I conjugation table, using a Präsens verb stem.
[reporting clause] + [subject] + [verb, Konjunktiv I conjugated] + [objects/additional info]
Keep in mind that your reporting clause will be in the Indikativ Präsens (simple present tense, indicative mood). This means the verb in the reporting clause will conjugate according to the Indikativ verb endings, while the verb in your main clause will conjugate according to the Konjunktiv endings.
| German Subject Pronoun | Konjunktiv I Verb Endings | Example with Brauchen (to need) |
| ich I | -e | brauche |
| du you (informal singular) | -est | brauchest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | -e | brauche |
| wir we | -en | brauchen |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | -et | brauchet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | -en | brauchen |
Present-tense sentences with German modal verbs
Modalverben (modal verbs) are among the most commonly used verbs in the German simple present tense and are easy to use. They are helping verbs that give more information about the main verb of your sentence and communicate ability, desire, necessity, obligation, or permission.
- Ich kann dir helfen. (Indikative Präsens) = I can help you.
- Sie sagt, du dürfest hier parken. (Kojunktiv I Präsens) = She says we may park here.
- Ich möchte einen Tee. (Kojunktiv II Präsens) = I would like tea.
There are six core German modal verbs and they can be used in any mood with the German simple present tense except for the Imperativ (imperative mood). You can’t use Modalverben in Imperativ because they express ability, permission, or obligation rather than the action being commanded.
You’ll conjugate your chosen Modalverb according to your subject and chosen mood, then kick your main verb to the end of the sentence in its infinitive form with the standard -en ending.
[subject] + [modal verb, conjugated] + [objects] + [main verb, infinitive form]
- Er darf nicht links abbiegen. = He may not turn left.
- Du sollst zweimal täglich Zähne putzen. = You should brush your teeth twice a day.
- Wir müssen einen Elektriker anrufen. = We must call an electrician.
| German Modal Verbs | Pronunciation | English |
| dürfen | DEWR-fen | to be allowed to, may |
| können | KUHR-nen | can, to be able to |
| mögen | MUR-gen | to like |
| müssen | MEW-sen | must, to have to |
| sollen | ZOLL-en | should, to be supposed to |
| wollen | VOLL-en | to want to |
Forming questions with Modalverben
For questions in the simple present tense with modal verbs, you’ll swap the position of your subject and Modalverb so that the Modalverb comes first, followed by the subject.
[modal verb, conjugated] + [subject] + [objects] + [main verb, infinitive form]
- Können Sie es reparieren? = Can you repair it?
- Wollen wir uns zum Mittagessen treffen? = Would we like to meet for lunch?
Key takeaways about the German present tense
You’ll likely use Präsens (simple present tense) more than any other tense in daily German conversation and writing.
- The simple German present tense is used to discuss ongoing events or universal truths.
- In German, Präsens (simple present tense) combines both the simple present and present progressive tenses from English into one.
- Verbs in the German present tense are conjugated according to the subject and mood of the sentence.
- There are four moods used with the German simple present tense: Indikativ (indicative), Imperativ (imperative), Konjunktiv I (subjunctive I), and Konjunktiv II (subjunctive II).
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