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This page teaches the Partizip II (past participle) forms of the most commonly used German verbs, essential for forming past tenses. It includes a detailed table of verbs like sein–gewesen, haben–gehabt, and gehen–gegangen, with explanations and example sentences to help learners master their usage in everyday contexts.
  1. The past participle is best learned by heart!
Infinitiv (infinitive)Partizip II (past participle)Infinitiv (infinitive)Partizip II (past participle)Infinitiv (infinitive)Partizip II (past participle)
sein (to be)gewesensprechen (to speak)gesprochenfahren (to drive)gefahren
haben (have)gehabtschreiben (to write)geschriebenbringen (to bring)gebracht
werden (to become)gewordenlesen (to read)gelesennehmen (to take)genommen
gehen (to go)gegangenlernen (to learn)gelerntfragen (to ask)gefragt
machen (to do)gemachtkaufen (to buy)gekauftantworten (answer)geantwortet
sagen (to say)gesagtarbeiten (to work)gearbeitetnehmen (to take)genommen
sehen (to see)gesehenwohnen (to live)gewohntschlafen (to sleep)geschlafen
aufstehen (to get up)aufgestandendenken (to think)gedachthelfen (to help)geholfen
verstehen (to understand)verstandenlaufen (to run)gelaufenleben (to live)gelebt

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich habe gestern im Restaurant einen Salat ________.

(I ordered a salad at the restaurant ________ yesterday.)

2. Wir sind um 12 Uhr zum Mittagessen ________.

(We went to lunch at 12 o'clock ________.)

3. Sie hat eine Tischreservierung für heute ________.

(She made a table reservation for today ________.)

4. Er hat das Menü gelesen und die Suppe ________.

(He read the menu and ________ the soup.)

5. Wir haben den Kellner nach der Rechnung ________.

(We asked the waiter for the bill ________.)

6. Du hast einen leckeren Kuchen ________.

(You brought a delicious cake ________.)

Understanding the Most Common German Verbs and Their Past Participle Forms (Partizip II)

This lesson focuses on memorizing the Partizip II (past participle) forms of the most frequently used German verbs. Mastering these forms is essential for building past tenses like Perfekt, which are widely used in everyday German conversations and writing.

Key Content

  • Learn common verbs such as sein (to be) with gewesen, haben (to have) with gehabt, and werden (to become) with geworden.
  • Other useful verbs include gehen (to go) with gegangen, machen (to do/make) with gemacht, and sprechen (to speak) with gesprochen.
  • The lesson provides a clear, structured table to help you visually connect infinitive verbs to their corresponding Partizip II forms.
  • Practice sentences and exercises reinforce correct usage in typical contexts, like ordering food or making reservations.

Important Highlights

Many German verbs form their past participles with the prefix ge- plus the verb stem and an ending like -t or -en. For example, kaufen (to buy) becomes gekauft, and schreiben (to write) changes to geschrieben. Irregular verbs, such as nehmen (to take) to genommen, need to be memorized carefully.

Notes on Instructional Differences and Useful Phrases

In German, the Perfekt tense often replaces the simple past in everyday speech, unlike in English where the simple past is more common. For example, instead of saying "I ate," Germans usually say "Ich habe gegessen" (I have eaten). The conjugation uses an auxiliary verb (haben or sein) plus the Partizip II form.

Useful phrases include:

  • Ich habe einen Salat bestellt. – I have ordered a salad.
  • Wir sind zum Mittagessen gegangen. – We went to lunch.
  • Sie hat eine Tischreservierung gemacht. – She made a table reservation.
These examples illustrate how the past participle forms are used naturally to describe completed actions.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Monday, 14/07/2025 21:34