Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the five main stem-changing patterns in German present tense verbs. Understand how verbs like fahren, laufen, essen, sehen, and stoßen change their vowels in 2nd and 3rd person singular forms to improve your conjugation skills and speaking fluency.
  1. In these verbs, the present stem changes in the 2nd and 3rd person singular.
Stammveränderung (stem change)Verb (Verb)Beispiel (Example)
a → ä

Fahren (to drive)

auch: Schlafen, Halten (also: to sleep, to hold)

Du fährst 

Er / Sie / Es fährt

au → äu

Laufen (to run)

auch: Saufen (also: to booze)

Du läufst (You run)

Er / Sie / Es läuft (He / She / It runs)

e → i

Essen

auch: Geben, Helfen (also: give, help)

Du isst (You eat)

Er / Sie / Es isst (He / She / It eats)

e → ie

Sehen

auch: Genießen, Stehlen, (also: enjoy, steal,)

Empfehlen (Recommend)

Du siehst (You see)

Er / Sie / Es sieht (He / She / It sees)

o → öStoßen

Du stößt (You stößt)

Er / Sie / Es stößt (He / She / It stößt)

Exercise 1: Verben mit Stammveränderung

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

trinkst, läuft, stößt, fahrt, esst, helfen, hilft, fährst

1. Stoßen:
Du ... dich immer.
(You always bump yourself.)
2. Helfen:
Er ... seiner Mutter beim Einkaufen.
(He helps his mother with the shopping.)
3. Helfen:
Die Kinder ... mir nicht oft beim Einkaufen.
(The children do not often help me with shopping.)
4. Fahren:
Ihr ... morgen zum Markt, um Äpfel und Birnen zu kaufen.
(You are going to the market tomorrow to buy apples and pears.)
5. Laufen:
Die Frau ... zum Supermarkt.
(The woman runs to the supermarket.)
6. Essen:
Ihr ... viel Käse.
(You eat a lot of cheese.)
7. Fahren:
Du ... zum Supermarkt.
(You drive to the supermarket.)
8. Trinken:
Du ... Apfelsaft.
(You are drinking apple juice.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Du _____ morgen zum Supermarkt, um Obst zu kaufen.

(You _____ are going to the supermarket tomorrow to buy fruit.)

2. Er _____ schnell durch die Gänge, um die Milch zu finden.

(He _____ runs quickly through the aisles to find the milk.)

3. Sie _____ jeden Tag frisches Gemüse vom Markt.

(She _____ eats fresh vegetables from the market every day.)

4. Du _____ viele verschiedene Käsesorten im Regal.

(You _____ see many different kinds of cheese on the shelf.)

5. Er _____ den Einkaufswagen vorsichtig in den Gang.

(He _____ carefully pushes the shopping cart into the aisle.)

6. Du _____ im Supermarkt nicht, sondern kaufst schnell ein.

(You _____ do not sleep in the supermarket, but shop quickly.)

Understanding Stem-Changing Verbs in German

This lesson focuses on learning the five main patterns of stem vowel changes that occur in certain German verbs during the present tense. These verbs, often called "strong" or "irregular" verbs, modify their stem vowel in the 2nd and 3rd person singular forms.

Key Stem Changes

  • a → ä: Examples include fahren (to drive), schlafen (to sleep), and halten (to hold). For instance, "du fährst" and "er/sie/es fährt."
  • au → äu: This pattern appears in verbs like laufen (to run) and saufen (to drink, usually for animals). For example, "du läufst" and "er/sie/es läuft."
  • e → i: Verbs such as essen (to eat), geben (to give), and helfen (to help) follow this change. "Du isst" and "er/sie/es isst" illustrate this.
  • e → ie: This appears in verbs like sehen (to see), genießen (to enjoy), and stehlen (to steal). For example, "du siehst" and "er/sie/es sieht."
  • o → ö: Found in verbs like stoßen (to push). For instance, "du stößt" and "er/sie/es stößt."

Lesson Content and Usage

You will learn to identify and conjugate these stem-changing verbs correctly, improving both your understanding and speaking abilities in German. The changes only affect the present tense forms of the 2nd person singular (du) and 3rd person singular (er/sie/es).

Comparing German and English

Unlike English, which generally conjugates verbs by adding -s or -es in the 3rd person singular without changing the stem vowel, German changes the stem vowel for many common verbs in these forms. For example, English uses "you run," "he runs," while German uses "du läufst," "er läuft."

Useful phrases to remember include: du fährst (you drive), er isst (he eats), and du schläfst (you sleep). These reflect the typical vowel shifts you will master in this lesson.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Monday, 14/07/2025 22:38