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WORD GRAMMAR
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Verb
- Conjugation in indicative
- Person and number
- Tenses
- Voice
- Mood
- Verb categories
- Valency
- Semantic categories of verbs
- Finite / non-finite verb forms
- Noun
- Adjective
- Adverb
- Article
- Pronoun
- Preposition
- Conjunction
- Particle
- Interjection
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Verb
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SENTENCE GRAMMAR
- Clause types
- Complex clauses
- Constituents of a sentence
- Sentence structure
- Word order in a sentence
- Negation
Conjugation classes
CA1
There are two conjugation classes. The first consists of schwache i.e regular verbs and the second of starke i.e. irregular verbs.
Irregular verbs include mixed verbs, auxiliary verbs and modal verbs.
CA1A
The majority of the German verbs are regular. Regular verbs do not change their verb stem in any tense or mood.
| Example | ||||
|
spiel
|
-en
|
spiel-t | spiel-te | ge-spiel-t |
|
verb stem
|
ending
|
3rd person present | 3rd person Präteritum | past participle (Partizip II) |
CA1B
Irregular verbs change their verb stem, at least between the present tense and the Präteritum.
| Examples | |||
|
komm
|
-en
|
kam | o --- a |
|
geh
|
-en
|
ging | e --- i |
|
verb stem
|
ending
|
1st / 3rd person Präteritum | verb stem vowel |
CA1C
Mixed verbs are irregular verbs that also have characteristics of regular verbs. Mixed verbs change their verb stem vowel in the Präteritum and in the past participle (Partizip II), but take the endings of regular verbs both in the Präteritum and in the past participle (Partizip II).
| Examples | |||
|
bring
|
-en
|
brach-te | ge-brach-t |
|
verb stem
|
ending
|
1st / 3rd person Präteritum | past participle (Partizip II) |
CA1D
Auxiliary verbs haben, sein and werden are irregular verbs. Their finite verb forms, combined with a non-finite verb form of a full verb (infinitive, past participle) are used to build the complex tenses and the passive voice form of the respective full verbs.
CA1E
Modal verbs dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen and wollen are also irregular verbs. They are mostly combined with the infinitive of a full verb.