German Grammar
German Verbs
Verbs (Verben) express actions, states, and processes in German. They form the core of every sentence and change their form based on subject and tense. This page provides links to comprehensive guides on all verb topics.
Verb Tenses
All six German tenses and when to use them
The most common tense for current actions and habits
The go-to past tense for spoken German
Simple past for written narratives and formal contexts
Actions that happened before other past events
Future plans, promises, and assumptions about the present
Completed actions in the future
Verb Types & Features
The six verbs that modify other verbs (können, müssen, wollen, etc.)
Verbs where the action reflects back to the subject
Verbs with prefixes that detach in main clauses
Complete list of strong and mixed verbs with vowel changes
Which verbs take direct objects and which don't
When to use each auxiliary verb in compound tenses
Verb Forms & Moods
Present and past participle formation and usage
When zu is required with infinitives
Command forms for du, ihr, Sie, and wir
Expressing wishes, hypotheticals, and reported speech
Focusing on the action rather than who performs it
The verbal adjective expressing necessity or possibility