Most Common German Verbs: 50 Essential Verbs Every Beginner Needs
The 50 most frequently used German verbs, with English meanings and example sentences. These common German verbs appear in everyday speech and writing so often that learning them first gives you the most practical return on your study time. If you are a complete beginner or brushing up on basic German verbs, this is a good place to start.
50 verbs
to stay
“Ich bleibe heute zu Hause.”
I am staying at home today.
to need
“Ich brauche Wasser.”
I need water.
to bring
“Ich bringe das Buch zur Schule.”
I bring the book to school.
to exist, to pass an exam, to consist
“Ich bestehe die Prüfung.”
I pass the exam.
to see
“Ich sehe den Hund im Garten.”
I see the dog in the garden.
may, to be allowed to
“Ich darf heute länger schlafen.”
I may sleep longer today.
to follow
“Ich folge dir.”
I follow you.
to make, to do
“Er macht keinen Fehler.”
He makes no mistake.
to take
“Ich nehme einen Apfel.”
I take an apple.
to believe
“Ich glaube dir.”
I believe you.
to say
“Ich sage die Wahrheit.”
I say the truth.
to write
“Ich schreibe einen kurzen Text.”
I write a short text.
must, to have to
“Ich muss heute früh aufstehen.”
I have to get up early today.
to have
“Ich habe einen Hund.”
I have a dog.
to live
“Ich lebe in Berlin.”
I live in Berlin.
to learn
“Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.”
I learn German every day.
to hold, to stop
“Ich halte das kleine Buch in der Hand.”
I hold the small book in my hand.
to be called
“Er heißt Tom.”
His name is Tom.
to stand
“Ich stehe jeden Morgen um sieben Uhr auf.”
I get up every morning at seven o’clock.
can, to be able to
“Ich kann heute Deutsch lernen.”
I can study German today.
to place, to put
“Ich stelle den Stuhl an die Wand.”
I put the chair against the wall.
to speak
“Ich spreche Deutsch.”
I speak German.
to play
“Ich spiele jeden Abend Fußball.”
I play soccer every evening.
to get, to receive
“Bekommt ihr auch das Geschenk?”
Are you also getting the gift?
to know, to know a fact
“Ich weiß die Antwort.”
I know the answer.
to become
“Ich werde müde.”
I am getting tired.
to begin
“Ich beginne jetzt die Arbeit.”
I begin the work now.
to work
“Ich arbeite heute im Büro.”
I am working in the office today.
to understand
“Ich verstehe dich gut.”
I understand you well.
to think
“Ich denke jeden Morgen an meine Familie.”
I think of my family every morning.
to lead
“Ich führe meinen Hund jeden Morgen im Park.”
I walk my dog in the park every morning.
to mean, to think
“Ich meine das ernst.”
I mean that seriously.
to be valid, to apply
“Die Karte gilt heute.”
The ticket is valid today.
to sit down
“Ich setze den Stuhl an den Tisch.”
I place the chair at the table.
to do
“Ich tue heute nichts.”
I do nothing today.
to lie, to be located
“Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.”
The book is lying on the table.
to show
“Ich zeige dir das Bild.”
I show you the picture.
to know a person, to know a place
“Ich kenne ihn.”
I know him.
to come
“Ich komme aus Deutschland.”
I come from Germany.
to try
“Ich versuche das Rezept.”
I try the recipe.
to go
“Ich gehe jeden Morgen zur Schule.”
I go to school every morning.
to give
“Ich gebe dir das Buch.”
I give you the book.
to ask
“Ich frage den Lehrer.”
I ask the teacher.
to let, to allow
“Ich lasse das Fenster offen.”
I leave the window open.
to name, to call
“Ich nenne meinen Hund Max.”
I call my dog Max.
to drive, to go
“Ich fahre jeden Tag zur Arbeit.”
I drive to work every day.
Practice with Games
Example Sentences
Ich bin Student.
I am a student.
Sie hat zwei Kinder.
She has two children.
Wir gehen ins Kino.
We are going to the cinema.
Er kann gut kochen.
He can cook well.
Was machst du heute?
What are you doing today?