Verbs
Verbs by meaning: with forms, conjugation and examples. See all the verbs in one list or by prefix
Groups54
- 100 base verbsA1100 wordsaudioA hundred simple verbs without prefixes, the base that prefixes turn into new words: be and have, go and drive, put and lay, give and take, think and speak.
- Basic verbsA111 wordsaudioThe most frequent verbs, where a language begins: speak, see, go, come, do, give and take.
- Modal verbsA17 wordsaudioCan, want, must: how to talk about possibility, wishes, duty, permission and what you like.
- Memory, knowledge and recognitionA214 wordsHow to remember, recognize and not forget: remember, memorize, know, recognize a face, mix things up, when something comes to mind.
- Switching on and offA27 wordsaudioHow to start and stop a device: switch on the light, the TV or the cooker, switch off and unplug.
- HouseworkA213 wordsaudioJobs around the house: tidy the flat, dust, vacuum, do the laundry, iron, and invite and host guests.
- Housing and rentingA28 wordsaudioHow to rent a flat and live in it: rent or let, move in, move house and move out, set up a new home.
- ClothesA217 wordsaudioHow to choose clothes, put them on and take them off: try on, whether it suits you and fits, wear, change and undress.
- Attention, caution and respectA24 wordsaudioHow to stay alert: beware, keep your eyes open, pay attention to what matters and take an interest in what's around you.
- Wishes, dreams and hopesA25 wordsaudioWhat we want and strive for: dream, wish, hope and reach for a goal.
- Relationships and dealing with peopleA271 wordsHow people deal with each other: meet and visit, help and trust, give presents, quarrel and make up, love, miss each other and say goodbye.
- Movement and transportA2142 wordsHow we get about on foot and by transport: walk, run and hurry, drive, fly and swim, get on and change, arrive and leave, climb, fall and jump.
- Everyday lifeA236 wordsAn ordinary day from the alarm clock to bed: get up, wash and get ready, study and work, live, grab a bite and go to bed.
- Reading, writing and working with textA224 wordsEverything you do with a text: read, write, draw and translate, copy out, sign, fill in, sort and check.
- Communication and speechA235 wordsHow we speak: talk and keep quiet, ask and answer, tell and explain, discuss, promise, shout and phone.
- Hobbies and activitiesA261 wordsWhat to do in your free time: sport and games, travel and hiking, winter fun, creative things, music, films and relaxing at home.
- Verbs with the dativeA276 wordsVerbs after which the person something is done to stands in the dative: help, thank, like, believe, answer, meet, plus “I'm cold” and “I'm sorry”.
- MedicineB114 wordsaudioAt the doctor's, at the pharmacy and on the way to recovery: treat and take medicine, complain of symptoms, catch a cold, get infected, get better and recover.
- Decisions and arrangementsB131 wordsHow to reach a decision and make arrangements: choose, agree, set up a meeting, book, postpone a date and tell others about your plans.
- Learning and studyingB135 wordsHow to learn and teach others: pick up something new, practise, memorize and revise, explain, give instructions, take courses.
- Advice and guidanceB119 wordsHow to give a hint and lead the way: advise or talk someone out of it, show the way, refer to something, lead people.
- InsertingB16 wordsaudioHow to put one thing inside another: insert a key or a card, push it in deeper, stick it in, place it.
- Decisions, demands and cancellingB112 wordsaudioHow to say yes or no: accept an offer or turn it down, abstain, and cancel, interrupt, suspend or withdraw what was decided.
- BeginningB18 wordsHow things get started: begin and set about, launch a project or a process, take up a new post.
- Continuing and endingB114 wordsaudioWhat happens to a task after it starts: take a break, carry on, give up or see it through and finish.
- CookingB139 wordsaudioWhat you do with food in the kitchen: boil, fry and bake, cut, stir, salt and season, pour, serve and do the washing-up.
- RemovingB122 wordsaudioHow to get rid of what's in the way and tidy up: delete, get rid of, take away and carry out, clear the table, put aside, make room.
- Making and breakingB121 wordsHow things are made and how they're broken: build, produce, found a business, assemble from parts, and smash, crush, spoil, hinder.
- ComputersB1110 wordsaudioWhat we do on a computer and a phone: switch on and install, log in, click and select, save, download, send and share.
- Caring and concernB19 wordsWhen you worry about someone and help them: look after loved ones, worry and be anxious, rescue from trouble; and what concerns someone.
- Winning and losingB19 wordsWin or lose: lose something, make a mistake, get lost and lose your way, compete on equal terms with a rival.
- GrowingB19 wordsHow people and plants grow: grow up, grow a crop, raise a child and get used to something new.
- General actions and processesB181 wordsVerbs you need for anything: plan, need, cope and achieve, use, allow and forbid, wait, try, submit documents.
- Money, spending and shoppingB140 wordsWhere money comes from and where it goes: buy and sell, pay, spend, transfer and withdraw at the bank, owe, haggle.
- Hands and objectsB149 wordsWhat hands do with things: touch and press, pull and push, take and grab, lift, hold and carry, throw, put and lay.
- Turning and changing directionB19 wordsaudioHow to turn and change direction: twist and rotate, turn over, turn round, turn off the road, redirect or divert.
- The bodyB130 wordsaudioWhat the body does by itself: chew and swallow, sneeze and cough, breathe and snore, sweat, shiver, itch, feel sick.
- Perception and thinkingB138 wordsHow we see, hear and understand: the senses, taste and smell, and look, look around, watch, peek and look away.
- Joining and includingB111 wordsHow to become part of a group or a project: join, sign up and take part, include, contribute or leave.
- Opinions, perception and assumptionsB125 wordsWhat we think and how we say it: believe and suppose, judge, assume, convince, what seems to whom, notice or let it pass.
- The -ieren endingB130 wordsVerbs ending in -ieren that you understand almost without translation: organize, repair, check, react, risk, concentrate, copy.
- Getting, giving, passing on and swappingB147 wordsHow things change hands: ask and offer, receive, bring and collect, deliver, return, share and exchange.
- Emotions and reactionsB123 wordsWhat we feel and how we show it: laugh and cry, be glad, get angry, be surprised, miss someone, be ashamed, relax or pull yourself together.
- Position in spaceB154 wordsWhere things are and where you put them: stand and put upright, sit and seat, lie and lay, hang and hang up, stick out and get stuck.
- Hair and hairstyleB113 wordsEverything you do with hair: cut and shorten it, wash it and blow-dry it, dye and lighten it, comb, straighten and style it.
- Change and influenceB110 wordsHow one thing acts on another and changes it: causes and influence, change and development, shape and design, strength and weakness.
- Presenting and showingB222 wordsHow to present yourself, your work and your documents: introduce yourself, put forward an idea, set it out, show your passport and prove you're right.
- Thinking, doubt and decidingB217 wordsaudioHow we reason: think it over, compare, weigh up the options, put a thought into words, have doubts, hesitate and finally make up your mind and take the risk.
- Jobs and positionsB213 wordsHow to find a job and leave it: hire and fire, earn, appoint to a post or transfer, take up a post and resign.
- Attaching and joiningB211 wordsaudioHow to fix one thing to another: attach, lean against the wall, put against, connect, enclose in a letter or add at the end.
- Appearing and disappearingB211 wordsHow something comes about and appears, then vanishes, hides or slowly dies away.
- DeterminingB28 wordsHow to establish what's what: determine, find out, designate, and what something depends on.
- FightingB262 wordssongBattles and fights: hit and wound, attack and defend, hold out or surrender, retreat, run away and win.
- Physical processesB243 wordsaudioWhat happens in nature and to substances: burn and glow, melt and freeze, boil, drip and flow, rust, rot, break.
Derived44
- bringenA220 wordsaudioTake a thing or a person where they are expected, and from that: put in order, get someone to act, achieve something. Prefixes: spend time, accommodate, teach, return, take out.
- holenA218 wordsaudioGo for something and come back with it, and also take out, win a medal, catch a cold. Prefixes: pick up, catch up and make up for, overtake, repeat, recover.
- gebenA215 wordsPass from your hands into someone else's: a thing, advice, a lesson, and also “there is”. Prefixes: give up and quit, spend, enter data, return, pass on, forgive.
- nehmenA213 wordsTake something to yourself: an apple from the table, soup in a café, a taxi, a pill. Prefixes: accept and take over, undertake, lose weight and take off, record, withdraw, take away, take along.
- machenA212 wordsaudioMake one thing become another: coffee, a person alert, a cellar into a gym. Prefixes: open and close, switch on and off, join in, copy, break, make clear.
- kommenA219 wordsCome and end up here, and also come from somewhere, hit on an idea, get into a jam. Prefixes: get, arrive, happen, get along, get ahead, come back, escape.
- habenA28 wordsaudioHave something with you or as yours, with no action at all: a thing, time, a question, hunger. With prefixes: have on, be open or closed, plan, have with you.
- sagenA29 wordsaudioPut into words; also say something about someone, mean. Prefixes: cancel and accept, testify, fail, prompt, recite by heart.
- hörenA210 wordsaudioSound reaches your ears; also listen to music, obey. Prefixes: stop, listen to, eavesdrop, mishear, not hear, pick out by ear.
- zahlenA27 wordsaudioGive money for what you get; also pay taxes and wages. Prefixes: pay for, deposit, pay out, pay extra, pay off a loan, pay back.
- suchenA28 wordsLook for what is lost or not there yet; also look for a job or a flat. Prefixes: visit and try, go to see a doctor, pick out, comb an area, search a place.
- kaufenA26 wordsaudioGive money and get a thing. Prefixes: go shopping, sell, buy up, buy from someone and believe them, buy back.
- fahrenA212 wordsaudioGo on wheels; also drive a car, take someone somewhere. Prefixes: leave, ride along, go back, drive past, hit a pedestrian, shut down a computer.
- essenA26 wordsaudioEat at the table: lunch, dinner, a snack. Prefixes: eat with someone, eat up, eat someone else's share, spend money on food.
- trinkenA27 wordsaudioDrink water, coffee or wine; also drink with friends. Prefixes: drink along, drink up, take a sip off the top, drink money away, get drunk.
- steigenA29 wordsaudioStep upwards; also rise: prices, temperature, mood. Prefixes: get on and off, change trains, climb a mountain and come down, go up in price.
- lesenA26 wordsaudioEyes run along the lines: a book, a paper, a letter; also read something in the paper. Prefixes: read aloud, look up, read through, take a meter reading, read along.
- rufenA212 wordsRaise your voice so someone hears and comes; also call a doctor or a taxi. Prefixes: phone and call back, call up, proclaim, shout to someone, summon.
- haltenB120 wordsaudioHold so that nothing moves, and from that: stop, keep your word, consider someone something. Prefixes: keep, receive, endure, talk, behave, hold back.
- sehenB122 wordsSee what comes into your eyes by itself, watch a film, see things your own way. Prefixes: look around, look in, check, look like, realise, overlook, look away.
- tragenB117 wordsaudioCarry a weight in your arms or on you: a bag, a jacket, glasses, and also responsibility and costs. Prefixes: bear, get along, transmit, apply, enter in a list, amount to, contribute.
- stehenB122 wordsaudioStand upright in your place, and also be written, suit someone, back someone, face a choice. Prefixes: get up, consist of, understand, arise, get through, be ahead.
- sitzenB1–B210 wordsaudioSit firmly and for long: on a chair, at the head office, over your work, and clothes fit well. Prefixes: own, be stuck, sit around, sit together, serve time.
- liegenB1–B215 wordsaudioLie and stay put, be located somewhere, and also “it's down to something”. Prefixes: be enclosed, be available, be pending, be subject to, lie around.
- setzenB128 wordsaudioSeat someone or put something in its place; sit down yourself; bet on something. Prefixes: occupy, replace, translate, use, continue, get your way, put together.
- legenB129 wordsaudioLay something down so it lies flat; lie down yourself; of the wind, die down. Prefixes: think over, put aside, lay out, hang up, settle, get going, trick.
- stellenB124 wordsStand something upright in its place, and also ask a question, file an application, set an alarm. Prefixes: introduce, order, produce, switch on and adjust, exhibit, find out.
- ratenB16 wordsaudioAdvise from experience, or guess at random. Prefixes: consult a specialist, recommend, advise against, guess the answer, give away a secret.
- reichenB18 wordsaudioStretch out a hand and pass the salt, reach a shelf, and also be enough: the money lasts. Prefixes: pass on, submit documents, send in later, achieve a goal.
- steckenB116 wordsaudioPush into a narrow place or be stuck there: a key in the lock, money in a project, a family in debt. Prefixes: hide, infect, pocket, unplug, mark out, back down.
- führenB115 wordsaudioWalk in front and lead others, and from that: run a business, lead in a game, hold a talk, lead to a result. Prefixes: introduce, carry out, conduct, demonstrate, continue.
- bietenB15 wordsaudioHold something out for someone to take: a chance, a view, a bid at an auction. Prefixes: offer, forbid, summon all your strength, perform on stage.
- findenB18 wordsaudioThe search ends in a find; also think something is nice or boring. Prefixes: find out, find again, find your way back, invent, come to terms, be located.
- bleibenB16 wordsaudioStay where you are and as you are. Prefixes: fall behind, be left over, stop, fail to come, settle on something.
- arbeitenB16 wordsaudioBe busy with a task: work as, at, on and with. Prefixes: work out a plan, work through a backlog, cooperate, revise a text, process.
- lassenB113 wordsLeave something alone and let it be; also allow, have someone do it. Prefixes: leave a place, dismiss, hand over, keep on, skip, let go, ease off, admit.
- denkenB19 wordsaudioThe work of the head: think, believe, remember. Prefixes: reflect, take into account, reconsider, make up, think along, think ahead.
- laufenB114 wordsaudioRun and walk; also anything that runs by itself: a film, an engine, a deadline. Prefixes: run away, get lost, expire, leak, gather, go through, keep running.
- stimmenB111 wordsaudioTune a string, be correct, cast a vote. Prefixes: agree, vote and coordinate, match, change someone's mind, strike up and join in a song, put out of tune.
- tretenB214 wordsaudioTake a step: step in a puddle, kick a ball, step outside, and a law comes into force. Prefixes: enter, join a club, stand in for someone, perform, resign, break a rule.
- weisenB211 wordsaudioPoint the way with an outstretched hand. Prefixes: prove, refer, transfer money, refer to a doctor, show documents, instruct, turn down.
- zeugenB23 wordsaudioBear witness to something and, in a quite different sense, conceive a child. Prefixes: testify, convince and be convincing.
- fügenB28 wordsaudioFit one piece to another so they make a whole; of a person, to give in or resign oneself. Prefixes: add, insert, enclose with a letter, join, do harm.
- leitenB211 wordsaudioDirect a flow along the right path: people to a counter, water, current, a department's work. Prefixes: instruct, begin, derive, forward an email, divert.
Reflexive5
- True reflexivesA27 wordsaudioVerbs that can't live without sich: hurry and be late, be glad, rest, catch a cold, fall in love and be ashamed.
- Everyday actionsA227 wordsaudioWhat we do to ourselves every day: wash, get dressed, comb your hair and shave, rest, complain, have fun, pull yourself together.
- Emotional statesA28 wordsaudioHow we feel, verbs with sich: be glad, get angry, be surprised, be bored, be ashamed, feel good or bad, relax.
- Doing things togetherA29 wordsaudioWhat people do with each other: meet and get acquainted, quarrel and make up, kiss, chat, say goodbye and apologize.
- MiscellaneousB115 wordsaudioMore everyday verbs with sich: be located, sit down and lie down, remember and make up your mind, get ready, be interested, concentrate, look around, get used to.
By direction17
- bringenA28 wordsaudioWhere you bring and take things: there and here, in and out, across, away, back and along
- gebenA24 wordsaudioWhere what you give goes: back to its owner, into other hands, along on the way and further on
- kommenA26 wordsaudioWhere you come to and leave from: here and there, away, back, towards someone and along
- nehmenA23 wordsaudioWhere you take things: along, away and back
- fahrenA26 wordsaudioWhere you drive: there, down, past, away, back and along with someone
- steigenA27 wordsaudioWhere you step: on and off a vehicle, up and down, onto another train
- holenB18 wordsaudioWhere you fetch from and to: in and out, up and down, back and away
- legenB112 wordsaudioWhere you lay something: there and here, in and out, up and down, against something, aside and back in place
- sehenB112 wordsaudioWhere your gaze goes: there and here, in and out, up and down, across and away
- setzenB114 wordsaudioWhere you seat or put: there and here, in and out, up and down, against something, across, aside and back
- steckenB15 wordsaudioWhere you stick things: there, in and out, away into a pocket and back
- stellenB112 wordsaudioWhere you stand something: there and here, in and out, up and down, against something, across, aside and back in place
- tragenB15 wordsaudioWhere you carry: there and here, away, along and all over
- rufenB14 wordsaudioWhere you call someone: over here, in and out, back
- laufenB14 wordsaudioWhere you run: together to one place, away, along with others and on
- führenB25 wordsaudioWhere you lead a person: there and here, closer to a goal, away and under escort
- leitenB23 wordsaudioWhere you direct a flow or a person: there, away and back
Prefixes47
- ab-48 wordsSomething comes off or goes away: leave, take off, cancel. ab- also finishes a job, like drying the dishes.
- an-53 wordsThe action reaches its goal and touches it: arrive, touch, call. From there come starting and switching on: begin, turn on the light.
- auf-43 wordsMovement up and opening: get up, lift, open the door. auf- also finishes a job: tidy the room, stop.
- aus-45 wordsMovement from inside out: go out, move out of a flat, switch off the light. aus- also means «to the end»: spend all the money, endure.
- be-77 wordsThe action goes straight at a person or thing, with no preposition: discuss a problem, describe, visit a friend, pay a bill.
- bei-6 wordsaudioSomething is added alongside: enclose with a letter, contribute your share, join a club, teach someone.
- bereit-1 wordaudioSomething is prepared in advance and waits at hand: the documents are already lying ready.
- bevor-1 wordaudioAn event already stands before us and is about to come: the exam is close, a hard week lies ahead.
- dar-4 words
- durch-10 wordsaudioMovement right through, or a job carried to the end: walk through a forest, endure, look through papers, get your way.
- ein-38 wordsMovement in: go in, get on a bus, move into a flat. ein- also switches on and invites: turn on, invite guests.
- emp-3 wordsaudioThis is ent- written before the letter f: receive, welcome guests, recommend.
- ent-18 wordsSomething is removed or undone: delete, unpack, unlock. ent- also means slipping away or coming into being.
- entgegen-2 wordsaudioMovement towards someone or something: go to meet, give way, work against.
- entlang-1 wordaudioMovement along something: walk along the river, down the street, along the shore.
- er-41 wordsThe action leads to a result: reach a goal, master, find out, invent, guess, heat up.
- fest-7 wordsaudioSomething is fixed or decided for good: hold tight, set a date, establish, get stuck.
- fort-3 wordsaudioThe action goes on: continue the work.
- frei-2 wordsaudioSomething becomes free: give access, clear a space.
- her-15 wordsaudioMovement here, towards the speaker: come, bring, put. her- also means «produce».
- heraus-7 wordsaudioMovement out, towards the speaker: take out, pull out. heraus- also means «turn out»: it turned out that…
- herein-1 wordaudio
- herum-3 wordsaudioMovement around, or doing nothing in particular: lie around, sit idle, carry around.
- herunter-3 wordsaudioMovement down, towards the speaker: download a file, shut down the computer.
- hin-16 wordsMovement there, away from the speaker: take there, put down, sit down, look, point out a mistake.
- hinauf-1 wordaudio
- hinaus-1 wordaudioMovement out, away from the speaker: look out of the window.
- hinzu-2 wordsaudioSomething is added to what is already there: add, join a group.
- los-5 wordsaudioMovement off the spot: set off, get down to work. los- also means getting rid of something.
- miss-2 wordsaudio
- mit-16 wordsaudioDoing something together or taking it along: go together, take along, bring, take part.
- nach-13 wordsThe action follows or repeats: catch up, repeat, check, think over, give in.
- nieder-1 wordaudioMovement down, to the ground: suppress, knock down.
- über-27 wordsThe action goes across or over something: translate, overtake, convince, overlook. It separates only for a real movement across.
- um-17 wordsMovement around, or a change: change seats, move house, rearrange, get changed, turn over.
- unter-17 wordsThe action under something or among people: sign, support, teach, talk. It separates only for a real «under».
- ver-88 wordsMost often the action goes wrong or something disappears: lose, mix up. ver- also changes a state: improve, sell.
- vor-22 wordsThe action goes forward or ahead of time: prepare, suggest, introduce, read aloud, plan to.
- vorbei-2 wordsaudioMovement past: walk or drive past. vorbei- also means dropping by.
- weg-18 wordsaudioMovement away: leave, take away, put away, look away, set aside.
- weiter-9 wordsaudioThe action goes on or is passed on: continue, forward a letter, pass on, move ahead.
- wider-2 wordsaudioThe action against someone or something: object, resist.
- wieder-4 wordsThe action happens again. In «repeat» the prefix stays attached, in «restore» it separates.
- zer-5 wordsaudioSomething breaks into pieces: smash, destroy, take apart, fall apart, trample.
- zu-18 wordsSomething is closed, or the action is aimed at someone: close, listen, watch, agree, inflict.
- zurück-27 wordsaudioMovement back: return, give back, bring back. zurück- also means stepping down from a post.
- zusammen-8 wordsaudioDoing something together: get together, fold, put together from parts, sit together.
Irregular10
- ei → ie → ie13 wordsaudiosongLike bleiben — blieb — geblieben: the root ei becomes a long ie in the past tense and in the participle
- ei → i → i15 wordsaudiosongLike greifen — griff — gegriffen: the root ei becomes a short i in the past tense and in the participle, and the consonant after it doubles
- ie → o → o26 wordsaudiosongLike fliegen — flog — geflogen: o in the past tense and in the participle. ziehen, schließen, bieten, verlieren change the same way, and so do heben and lügen
- i → a → u17 wordssongLike finden — fand — gefunden: three forms, three vowels. Almost all of these verbs end in -inden, -ingen or -inken
- e → a → o20 wordsaudioLike nehmen — nahm — genommen: a in the past tense, o in the participle. kommen, beginnen and schwimmen too; in the present tense e often turns into i
- e → a → e13 wordsaudiosongLike geben — gab — gegeben: a in the past tense, and the participle brings e back. sehen, lesen, essen, treten too, and also sitzen, liegen and bitten
- a → u → a7 wordsaudiosongLike fahren — fuhr — gefahren: u in the past tense, and the participle brings a back. tragen, schlagen, laden, wachsen and waschen too
- a → ie → a15 wordssongLike fallen — fiel — gefallen: ie or i in the past tense, and the participle brings back the vowel of the infinitive. lassen, halten, schlafen, laufen, rufen, gehen too
- Mixed14 wordsaudioLike bringen — brachte — gebracht: regular endings, but the vowel changes. denken, kennen, wissen, haben and the modal verbs too
- Special8 wordsaudioVerbs that fit no pattern: sein, werden, tun, stehen, and a few verbs with a regular past tense but a participle in -en