This deep dive covers Die schwachen Verben — Regular Weak Verbs within Present tense: regular (weak) verbs for GCSE German. Revise Present tense: regular (weak) verbs in The Core German Verbs and the Present Tense for GCSE German with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Die schwachen Verben — Regular Weak Verbs
Regular (weak) verbs follow a completely predictable pattern. Take the infinitive, remove -en to get the stem, then add the ending for the person you need.
| Person | Ending | Example: spielen (to play) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | -e | ich spiele |
| du | -st | du spielst |
| er/sie/es | -t | er spielt |
| wir | -en | wir spielen |
| ihr | -t | ihr spielt |
| sie/Sie | -en | sie spielen |
⚠️ The -t/-d rule — insert an -e!
When a verb stem ends in -t or -d, you must insert an extra -e before the endings -st and -t to make the word pronounceable:
| Infinitiv | du-form | er/sie/es-form |
|---|---|---|
| arbeiten (to work) | du arbeitest | er arbeitet |
| warten (to wait) | du wartest | er wartet |
| öffnen (to open) | du öffnest | er öffnet |
Examiners see du arbeitst (missing the inserted -e) in almost every cohort — it costs AO3 marks. If the stem ends in -t, -d, or a difficult consonant cluster like -fn, add the -e.
Die 10 wichtigsten schwachen Verben
These 10 regular verbs cover a huge range of AQA topics. Learn the model sentence alongside the infinitive:
| Infinitiv | Meaning | Model sentence |
|---|---|---|
| spielen | to play | Ich spiele Fußball. |
| kaufen | to buy | Ich kaufe ein T-Shirt. |
| wohnen | to live (somewhere) | Ich wohne in Manchester. |
| lernen | to learn / study | Ich lerne Deutsch. |
| hören | to hear / listen to | Ich höre Musik. |
| arbeiten | to work | Er arbeitet im Büro. (das Büro, die Büros = office) |
| tanzen | to dance | Sie tanzt sehr gut. |
| kochen | to cook | Wir kochen Abendessen. (das Abendessen = evening meal) |
| warten | to wait | Du wartest auf den Bus. (der Bus, die Busse; auf + Akkusativ) |
| fragen | to ask | Ich frage den Lehrer. (der Lehrer, die Lehrer = teacher) |
Annotated model sentences
Ich wohne* in Manchester und lerne** jeden Tag Deutsch.
I live in Manchester and study German every day.
- * wohne = ich-form of wohnen (stem wohn- + ending -e)
- ** lerne = ich-form of lernen (stem lern- + ending -e)
- jeden Tag = every day — a time adverbial; sentence still starts with Ich so verb stays in second position naturally
Er arbeitet* sehr hart, aber er wartet** noch auf die Ergebnisse.
He works very hard, but he is still waiting for the results.
- * arbeitet = er-form of arbeiten — stem ends in -t, so extra -e inserted: arbeit-e-t
- ** wartet = er-form of warten — same pattern: wart-e-t
- aber = coordinating conjunction — word order after aber is unchanged (subject stays before verb)
- noch = still; die Ergebnisse, pl. = results
Practice questions for Present tense: regular (weak) verbs
What is the correct er/sie/es form of the verb 'spielen' (to play)?
Complete the sentence: 'Anna ___ Tennis.'