Weak Verbs and Infinitives in German

This section explains Weak Verbs and Infinitives in German. Weak verbs are regular verbs that follow a predictable pattern when conjugated in the past tense. They are called "weak" because they do not change much in their forms compared to irregular (strong) verbs.

Conjugation in Present Tense: Weak verbs follow a regular pattern in the present tense. The verb endings are as follows:

• ich (I) - e
• du (you, singular informal) - st
• er/sie/es (he/she/it) - t
• wir (we) - en
• ihr (you, plural informal) - t
• sie/Sie (they/you formal) - en

Example:

• machen (to do/make)
  • Ich mache (I make)
  • Du machst (you make)
  • Er macht (he makes)
  • Wir machen (we make)
  • Ihr macht (you make, plural)
  • Sie machen (they make)

Conjugation in Past Tense (Perfect):
Weak verbs form their past tense by using the auxiliary verb haben (to have) and the past participle, which ends in -t. For regular weak verbs, the pattern is simple.

• machen (to do) → hat gemacht (has done)
  • Ich habe gemacht (I have done)
  • Du hast gemacht (you have done)
  • Er hat gemacht (he has done)
  • Wir haben gemacht (we have done)
  • Ihr habt gemacht (you have done, plural)
  • Sie haben gemacht (they have done)

Infinitives

The infinitive is the basic form of a verb, similar to the English form that ends in -to (e.g., to eat, to go). In German, the infinitive ends in -en or -n for most verbs. This is the form you find in the dictionary.

• machen (to do/make)
• sehen (to see)
• gehen (to go)
• essen (to eat)

Important Notes on Infinitives:

Infinitives are used with Modal Verbs: Modal verbs (like können, müssen, wollen) are followed by an infinitive verb to indicate necessity, possibility, or desire.

Examples:

• Ich kann schwimmen. (I can swim.)
  • Wir müssen gehen. (We must go.)
  • Sie will tanzen. (She wants to dance.)

Infinitives after Prepositions: Some German prepositions are followed by an infinitive when they refer to an action.

Examples:

• Ich habe keine Lust, ins Kino zu gehen. (I don’t feel like going to the cinema.)
  • Er hat Angst davor, zu sprechen. (He is afraid of speaking.)

Foundation Tier Example:

• Verb:spielen (to play)
  • Ich spiele (I play)
  • Du spielst (you play)
  • Er spielt (he plays)
  • Wir spielen (we play)
  • Ihr spielt (you play, plural)
  • Sie spielen (they play)
• Past Tense:
  • Ich habe gespielt (I have played)
  • Er hat gespielt (he has played)

Higher Tier Example:

• Verb:arbeiten (to work)
  • Ich arbeite (I work)
  • Du arbeitest (you work)
  • Er arbeitet (he works)
  • Wir arbeiten (we work)
  • Ihr arbeitet (you work, plural)
  • Sie arbeiten (they work)
• Past Tense:
  • Ich habe gearbeitet (I have worked)
  • Sie haben gearbeitet (they have worked)
• Using a Modal Verb:
  • Ich möchte arbeiten. (I would like to work.)
  • Du kannst spielen. (You can play.)

Key Differences Between Weak and Strong Verbs:

• Weak Verbs: Follow a regular pattern and add -t to form the past participle (e.g., machen → gemacht).
• Strong Verbs: These change vowels in the stem in the past tense (e.g., sehen → sah → gesehen).

Summary:

• Weak verbs are regular, and they form the past tense with the auxiliary verb haben and a past participle ending in -t.
• The infinitive form is the basic verb form, and it is used with modal verbs and after prepositions.
• The conjugation of weak verbs in the present tense follows a regular pattern based on the subject.