A practical guide to German irregular verbs

The term irregular applies to all German verbs that don’t follow standard conjugation rules. But within this broad category, there are important distinctions.

Strong verbs have stems that change vowels in certain tenses — for example, fahren (to go) becomes fuhr (Präteritum/past tense) and gefahren (Perfekt/past participle). In contrast, truly irregular verbs, like sein and haben, aren’t consistent and often change both their stems and endings in unexpected ways.

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The good news? German has fewer irregular verbs than English. With some guidance and a bit of practice, you’ll find these patterns easier to grasp than you might think.

How irregular verbs behave in German grammar

Many irregular verbs still stick to the general structure of verb stem + conjugated ending, though they may differ from regular verbs in how the stem changes. This irregularity typically pops up in the du and er/sie/es forms, where the stem undergoes a vowel shift known as Ablaut. For example:

  • nehmen (to take) → du nimmst, er/sie/es nimmt
  • sehen (to see) → du siehst, er/sie/es sieht

Some verbs go beyond the Ablaut and show irregularities not only in the stem, but also in their endings. Such verbs are considered truly irregular and they include essential ones such as:

  • haben (to have) → ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat
  • sein (to be) → ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist
  • werden (to become) → ich werde, du wirst, er/sie/es wird

Frustrated yet? It’s worth noting that the irregularities in German verbs aren’t simply random. They have historical roots that go back to earlier stages in the development of Germanic languages. The vowel changes we see (and struggle with) today are the result of systematic sound shifts that occurred centuries ago. Knowing this background isn’t strictly necessary, but it can help you see irregular verbs as part of a deeper structure rather than as agents of chaos.

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The 5 main patterns of German strong verbs

As you’ve probably noticed, most so-called “irregular” verbs are actually strong verbs that follow recognizable patterns. The Ablaut occurs here in a systematic and predictable way — mainly in the second-person singular (du) and third-person singular (er/sie/es) forms of the present tense, as well as in the past tense and participles. While you’ll still need to memorize these verbs individually, understanding how and where these irregularities occur will help you recognize patterns and conjugate verbs in German more easily.

All in all, there are five main patterns of German strong verbs, each defined by a specific sequence of vowel changes across tenses. 

Ablaut pattern: e → i

In these verbs, the stem changes from e to i in the second- and third-person singular:

  • geben (to give) → du gibst, er/sie/es gibt
  • essen (to eat) → du isst, er/sie/es isst
  • vergessen (to forget) → du vergisst, er/sie/es vergisst

Ablaut pattern: e → ie

The stem vowel e of these verbs becomes ie in singular forms:

  • lesen (to read) → du liest, er/sie/es liest
  • sehen (to see) → du siehst, er/sie/es sieht
  • empfehlen (to recommend) → du empfiehlst, er/sie/es empfiehlt

Ablaut pattern: a → ä

Here, a takes an umlaut and becomes ä:

  • fahren (to drive) → du fährst, er/sie/es fährt
  • schlafen (to sleep) → du schläfst, er/sie/es schläft
  • tragen (to carry, to wear) → du trägst, er/sie/es trägt

Past-tense Ablaut pattern: i → a (or i → a → u)

These changes occur primarily in the simple past and past participle:

  • sitzen (to sit) → ich saß, du saßt, er/sie/es saß
  • liegen (to lie) → ich lag, du lagst, er/sie/es lag
  • finden (to find) → ich fand, du fandest, er/sie/es fand

Some of the verbs in this group follow a full three-step pattern, e.g., beginnen (to begin) → begann → begonnen.

Irregular / mixed verbs (unpredictable forms)

These verbs don’t fit neatly into any Ablaut pattern and must be memorized:

  • bringen (to bring) → ich bringe, du bringst, er/sie/es bringt
  • wissen (to know) → ich weiß, du weißt, er/sie/es weiß
  • tun (to do) → ich tue, du tust, er/sie/es tut
  • senden (to send) → ich sende, du sendest, er/sie/es sendet

Present-tense conjugation table for common irregular verbs

The following table contains a list of German irregular verbs conjugated in the present tense, with the Ablaut in bold if present. These verbs are incredibly important to know, since you’ll encounter them often in daily interactions.

Verbichduer/sie/eswirihrsie/Sie
beginnen
(to begin)
beginnebeginnstbeginntbeginnenbeginntbeginnen
bitten
(to ask)
bittebittestbittetbittenbittetbitten
empfehlen (to recommend)empfehleempfiehlstempfiehltempfehlenempfehltempfehlen
essen
(to eat)
esseisstisstessenesstessen
fahren
(to drive)
fahrefährstfährtfahrenfahrtfahren
finden
(to find)
findefindestfindetfindenfindetfinden
geben
(to give)
gebegibstgibtgebengebtgeben
gehen
(to go)
gehegehstgehtgehengehtgehen
haben
(to have)
habehasthathabenhabthaben
halten
(to hold)
haltehältsthälthaltenhaltethalten
kennen
(to know, e.g., a person)
kennekennstkenntkennenkenntkennen
laufen
(to run)
laufeläufstläuftlaufenlauftlaufen
lesen
(to read)
leseliestliestlesenlestlesen
nehmen
(to take)
nehmenimmstnimmtnehmennehmtnehmen
raten
(to guess)
raterätsträtratenratetraten
rufen
(to call)
ruferufstruftrufenruftrufen
sehen
(to see)
sehesiehstsiehtsehensehtsehen
sein
(to be)
binbististsindseidsind
trinken
(to drink)
trinketrinksttrinkttrinkentrinkttrinken
tun
(to do)
tuetusttuttuntuttun
vergessen (to forget)vergessevergisstvergisstvergessenvergesstvergessen
verlassen
(to leave)
verlasseverlässtverlässtverlassenverlasstverlassen
wachsen
(to grow)
wachsewächstwächstwachsenwachstwachsen
werden
(to become)
werdewirstwirdwerdenwerdetwerden
ziehen
(to pull, to move)
zieheziehstziehtziehenziehtziehen
zwingen
(to force)
zwingezwingstzwingtzwingenzwingtzwingen

Tips to learn German irregular verbs faster

Learning German irregular verbs can be easier than expected if you know the right strategies.

We’ve already covered the first and most important one: recognizing common stems and endings. Most irregular verbs use the standard endings in the present tense. But a small group of highly irregular verbs — like sein, haben and werden — have different or shortened endings that you’ll need to memorize separately. Once you’ve set those aside, you can focus on the stems of the remaining strong verbs and start learning the five main Ablaut patterns.

Another helpful tip concerns so-called “mixed” verbs. These verbs can be tricky because they look like regular verbs in the present tense, but their stems are irregular in the simple past and past participle. It’s best to learn them as a group, focusing on their past forms and using tools like flashcards or tables, such as the one below:

VerbSimple pastParticiple
denken
(to think)
dachtegedacht
bringen
(to bring)
brachtegebracht
kennen
(to know, e.g., a person)
kanntegekannt
nennen
(to name, to call)
nanntegenannt
rennen
(to run)
ranntegerannt

Regardless of which kind of irregular verb you’re dealing with, a fun and effective way to learn them is by listening to and singing along with songs, such as those by Lern DEUTSCH durch SONGS. Apps and online tools such as the German Verb Conjugator can also help you practice basic German verbs and conjugation.

Of course, nothing beats practicing with native-level teachers, like those from Lingoda. Already in our German A1 course, you’ll start learning the most common irregular verbs.

German irregular verbs for English speakers: What’s easier (and harder)?

English and German are both Germanic languages, so they share similarities in verbs and verb behavior. If a verb is strong in English, it tends to be strong in German, too. In many cases, even the vowel changes adhere to comparable patterns. For example:

EnglishGerman
sing, sang, sungsingen, sang, gesungen
drink, drank, drunktrinken, trank, getrunken
begin, began, begunbeginnen, begann, begonnen

German actually has fewer irregular verbs than English — around 200, compared to nearly 300 in English. And most German irregular verbs conform to clear, consistent patterns. In contrast, many English irregular verbs have completely unpredictable past forms that you simply have to memorize.

Naturally, German has its challenges, too. Pronunciation and spelling changes can be a bit confusing at first, especially when strong verbs change their vowel in the present tense (e.g., fahrenfährst). Plus, there are more verb forms to learn; German draws a clearer distinction between the simple past (ich ging) and the perfect tense (ich bin gegangen) than English does.

In short, German irregular verbs are far more regular than they seem. With time, practice and a bit of pattern-spotting, they can actually become one of the more manageable parts of your learning journey.

How many irregular verbs are in German?

German has around 200 irregular verbs. That’s fewer than in many other languages, like English (which has nearly 300!).

How do you know if a verb is irregular in German?

Irregular verbs typically do not follow the regular conjugation patterns of weak verbs, which only add simple endings. They often undergo a vowel change in their stem, called Ablaut, in their present and past forms.

Mastering irregular German verbs

German irregular verbs tend to pop up quite often, so you’ll run into them early in your journey to mastering the language. Are you introducing yourself? Then you’re probably already using the irregular verb sein. Telling your doctor you have a fever? That means you’re using haben, another essential irregular verb.

Learning these verbs can seem confusing, but they’re generally easier to handle than their English counterparts. There are fewer of them, and most follow clear and predictable patterns.

If you’re looking for a supportive partner to help you learn German, Lingoda is here for you. With certified native-level teachers and flexible class schedules, our German courses give you ample opportunities to practice irregular verbs in real conversations at your own level and pace.

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Matteo Lombardo

Matteo Lombardo

Matteo Lombardo is a copywriter and translator specializing in technology and marketing translations from German and English into Italian. After studying translation, he moved to Germany and lived in various cities. He has a great passion for languages, especially German and Italian. He loves working with words and creating texts that are clear, natural and perfectly tailored to the target audience. His aim is to build bridges between cultures because he is convinced that a well-written content can make all the difference. You can find out more about him on his website or LinkedIn profile.