Free resourcesGerman

50 Essential German Verbs Every Beginner Should Know

FreeWord listA1

The fifty German verbs you will actually use in everyday conversation, each with an example sentence. Practise them as flashcards or take the quiz.

Download the PDF (8 pages)See German courses

You do not need to memorise hundreds of verbs at once. Start with the ones that carry ordinary conversation, and add the rest as you meet them.

0 known

  1. 1sein— to be

    • Ich bin müde. · I am tired.

  2. 2haben— to have

    • Ich habe einen Bruder. · I have a brother.

  3. 3machen— to do / make

    • Was machst du heute? · What are you doing today?

  4. 4gehen— to go

    • Ich gehe zur Arbeit. · I am going to work.

  5. 5kommen— to come

    • Ich komme aus Indien. · I come from India.

  6. 6wohnen— to live / reside

    • Ich wohne in Berlin. · I live in Berlin.

  7. 7leben— to live

    • Meine Eltern leben in Deutschland. · My parents live in Germany.

  8. 8arbeiten— to work

    • Ich arbeite von Montag bis Freitag. · I work from Monday to Friday.

  9. 9lernen— to learn

    • Ich lerne Deutsch. · I am learning German.

  10. 10studieren— to study at university

    • Sie studiert Medizin. · She studies medicine.

  11. 11essen— to eat

    • Ich esse gern Pizza. · I like eating pizza.

  12. 12trinken— to drink

    • Ich trinke jeden Morgen Kaffee. · I drink coffee every morning.

  13. 13schlafen— to sleep

    • Ich schlafe acht Stunden. · I sleep for eight hours.

  14. 14kaufen— to buy

    • Ich kaufe ein neues Buch. · I am buying a new book.

  15. 15bezahlen— to pay

    • Ich bezahle mit Karte. · I pay by card.

  16. 16kochen— to cook

    • Ich koche heute Abend. · I am cooking this evening.

  17. 17lesen— to read

    • Ich lese gern Bücher. · I like reading books.

  18. 18schreiben— to write

    • Ich schreibe eine E-Mail. · I am writing an email.

  19. 19hören— to hear / listen

    • Ich höre Musik. · I listen to music.

  20. 20sehen— to see / watch

    • Wir sehen einen Film. · We are watching a film.

  21. 21sprechen— to speak

    • Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. · I speak a little German.

  22. 22sagen— to say

    • Was sagst du? · What are you saying?

  23. 23fragen— to ask

    • Ich möchte etwas fragen. · I would like to ask something.

  24. 24antworten— to answer

    • Bitte antworten Sie auf meine Frage. · Please answer my question.

  25. 25verstehen— to understand

    • Ich verstehe die Frage. · I understand the question.

  26. 26erklären— to explain

    • Kannst du das erklären? · Can you explain that?

  27. 27erzählen— to tell / narrate

    • Er erzählt eine Geschichte. · He is telling a story.

  28. 28brauchen— to need

    • Ich brauche Hilfe. · I need help.

  29. 29wollen— to want

    • Ich will nach Deutschland reisen. · I want to travel to Germany.

  30. 30möchten— would like

    • Ich möchte einen Kaffee. · I would like a coffee.

  31. 31mögen— to like

    • Ich mag Schokolade. · I like chocolate.

  32. 32lieben— to love

    • Ich liebe meine Familie. · I love my family.

  33. 33können— can / to be able to

    • Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. · I can speak German.

  34. 34müssen— must / have to

    • Ich muss heute arbeiten. · I have to work today.

  35. 35dürfen— may / to be allowed to

    • Darf ich hier sitzen? · May I sit here?

  36. 36sollen— should / supposed to

    • Du sollst mehr Wasser trinken. · You should drink more water.

  37. 37fahren— to drive / travel

    • Ich fahre mit dem Bus zur Arbeit. · I travel to work by bus.

  38. 38reisen— to travel

    • Ich reise gern. · I like travelling.

  39. 39bleiben— to stay

    • Ich bleibe heute zu Hause. · I am staying home today.

  40. 40laufen— to walk / run

    • Ich laufe jeden Morgen im Park. · I walk/run in the park every morning.

  41. 41geben— to give

    • Kannst du mir das Buch geben? · Can you give me the book?

  42. 42nehmen— to take

    • Ich nehme einen Kaffee. · I’ll have a coffee.

  43. 43finden— to find

    • Ich finde meine Schlüssel nicht. · I can’t find my keys.

  44. 44suchen— to look for

    • Ich suche meine Tasche. · I am looking for my bag.

  45. 45helfen— to help

    • Kannst du mir helfen? · Can you help me?

  46. 46kennen— to know / be familiar with

    • Kennst du Berlin? · Do you know Berlin?

  47. 47wissen— to know a fact

    • Ich weiß es nicht. · I don’t know.

  48. 48denken— to think

    • Ich denke, dass Deutsch interessant ist. · I think German is interesting.

  49. 49beginnen— to begin

    • Der Unterricht beginnt um neun Uhr. · The class begins at nine o’clock.

  50. 50treffen— to meet

    • Ich treffe meine Freunde am Wochenende. · I meet my friends at the weekend.

Keep going with a teacher

These are the materials our German students use between classes. The live batches below are open now — every one shows its fee, its schedule and who teaches it.

B1
German B1

German B1

Registration openStarts in 24 days
Schedule Monday to FridayTiming 09:30 AM to 10:45 AM ISTDuration 3 Months
  • 100% live classes
  • Digital study material + worksheets
  • Course completion certificate
$150one-time
Enrol now →
Not sure yet?
B2
German B2

German B2

Registration openStarts in 25 days
Schedule Saturday to WednesdayTiming 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM ISTDuration 3 Months
  • 100% live classes
  • Digital study material + worksheets
  • Course completion certificate
$210one-time
Enrol now →
Not sure yet?
See all German courses

Every batch shows its fee upfront. No hidden costs, and you can pay online in a couple of minutes.

Want a study plan for your level?

Tell us where you are and what you are aiming at. A counsellor will come back with the level to start at, the batch that fits your timings, and what it costs — no charge for the call.

How long it actually takes to learn German →

Keep going

PhrasebookA1–A2

German Survival Phrases

Essential German for restaurants, shopping, travel and everyday life — 100 phrases in nine situations, plus the four sentence structures that cover most of them.

Word listB1

Stop Sounding Like a Textbook in German

Twenty filler words and expressions that make spoken German sound natural — also, na ja, genau, eigentlich — each with real examples.

CallWhatsApp