German irregular verbs with vowel change "e" ➔ "i / ie"
Are you ready to take your German language skills to the next level? If so, then you know that mastering irregular verbs in the present tense is a crucial step in becoming fluent. In this article, we'll explore everything you need to know about verbs that change from "e" to "i" and "ie."
German irregular verbs in the present tense
In German, some verbs show a significant irregularity in the present tense. Most of the affected verbs are words you will have to use regularly; hence, it is crucial to internalize them.
The four groups of German irregular verbs in the present tense are:
a ➔ ä
au ➔ äu
e ➔ i
e ➔ ie
In the following, we will discuss the third and fourth groups.
Recommended study materials on the topic:
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
German beers training book (incl. answers)
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What happens with an irregular verb?
German irregular verbs with a vowel change in the present tense all follow the same rules. The affected letters are always the vowels in the verb stem (infinitive: geben ➔ verb stem = geb_). Also, the shift is only for the second and third persons singular (du, er, sie, and es).
For example:
ich gebe
du gibst
er gibt
sie gibt
es gibt
–
wir geben
ihr gebt
sie geben
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Other verbs that include irregular verbs
If you have an irregular verb inside a verb with a separable or non-separable prefix, it will always stay irregular.
For example:
sprechen (to speak). = ich spreche – du sprichst
versprechen (to promise) = ich verspreche – du versprichst
Irregular verbs in other times
Concerning irregular verbs, you can be sure that if a verb is already performing a vowel shift in the present tense, it is most certainly also an irregular verb for past tenses like Perfekt.
helfen: er hilft – er half – er hat geholfen
List of German irregular verbs e ➔ i
brechen (to break) ➔ er bricht
essen (to eat) ➔ er isst
geben (to give) ➔ er gibt
gelten (to apply to) ➔ er gilt
helfen (to help) ➔ er hilft
stechen (to sting) ➔ er sticht
sprechen (to speak) ➔ er spricht
sterben (to die) ➔ er stirbt
treffen (to meet) ➔ er trifft
treten (to kick) ➔ er tritt
vergessen (to forget) ➔ er vergisst
werfen (to throw) ➔ er wirft
List of German irregular verbs e ➔ ie
empfehlen (to recommend) ➔ er empfiehlt
lesen (to read) ➔ er liest
sehen (to see) ➔ er sieht
stehlen (to steal) ➔ er stiehlt
Conclusion - irregular verbs
After reading this article, I hope you finally understand how to use this group of verbs you should internalize because you will need to use them frequently. To know more about verbs, check out German irregular verbs with vowel change "a / au" ➔ "ä / äu".
Bis bald!
Steffie
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