Kilo Lingo
German grammar

CEFR A1-A2

4 min read

Test yourself (22 questions)

German Stem-Changing Verbs: sprichst, siehst, fährst

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Some German verbs change their stem vowel in the present tense, but only in two places: the form and the er// form. The endings are the usual six, so the only new thing is the vowel. There are three patterns, and the plural never joins in.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Tap the right form.

  1. Ich Deutsch. (sprechen)

  2. Er den Bus. (nehmen)

  3. Wir nach Berlin. (fahren)

The whole pattern on one screen

The highlighter marks what changes: the vowel and the ending.

changesstemWhat do the colours mean?
Patternichduer
e to i
e to ie
a to ä
EnglishGerman
I speak German. .
He speaks German. .
We speak German. .

Only the middle sentence changes its vowel. That is the whole rule.

Two forms change, four do not

er fährt - he drives
Personfahren (drive)Changes?
no
yes
//yes
no
no
/no
  • . - You are driving too fast.
  • . - You (all) are driving too fast.

If the form changes, the er form changes in the same way, every time.

e to i: sprechen, geben, nehmen

Infinitiveer formExampleEnglish
.He speaks fast.
.She gives me money.
.He helps me.
.He takes the bus.
.She eats a lot.
Anna.He is meeting Anna.
.He forgets everything.

Two of them change more than the vowel:

  • drops the h and doubles the m: . - You take the bus.
  • has a stem in an s sound, so and er are the same: . - You eat a lot.

e to ie: sehen, lesen

Infinitiveer formExampleEnglish
.He sees well.
.She reads a lot.
.He recommends that.

also has an s-sound stem: , the same as .

a to ä, and au to äu

Infinitiveer formExampleEnglish
.He drives home.
.The child is asleep.
.She carries a bag.
.The snow is falling.
.I like that.
.He lets me go.
.She runs fast.

is the one verb you will meet early: becomes äu, , .

The -t stems: hält, not hältet

A stem in -t normally takes an extra e ( , he works). A stem-changing verb in -t does not. It drops the -t ending in the er form instead:

er hält - he holds
  • . - He is holding the book.
  • . - You are holding the book.

Strong, but regular in the present

Many strong verbs change their vowel only in the past, so their present is perfectly regular:

Infinitiveer formEnglish
.He goes.
.He comes.
.He stays.
.He finds it.

You cannot tell from the infinitive: changes ( ), does not. So learn each strong verb with its er form, as the dictionary prints it: , .

The du command keeps the i

The e to i and e to ie verbs keep the changed vowel in a command to one friend. The a to ä verbs do not:

CommandEnglishPattern
!Speak slowly!e to i
!Take that!e to i
!Look!e to ie
!Drive slowly!a to ä: no change

The full command forms are in the German imperative.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
spriche. . keeps the infinitive vowel
sprichen. .the plural never changes
. . is plural: no umlaut
Er hältet. .changed -t stems drop the -t
. . gives

What to do next

  1. Learn each strong verb with its er form: , .
  2. Say the three patterns aloud: , , .
  3. Go back to the six endings if any ending felt shaky; they never change.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/8

How does each verb change in the er form? Sort them.

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Build the word

0/5

Build the form from its pieces. Watch the vowel.

  1. du + sprechen

    Umlauts count - ae, oe, ue and ss work for ä, ö, ü, ß

    Your word is empty.

  2. er + sehen

    Umlauts count - ae, oe, ue and ss work for ä, ö, ü, ß

    Your word is empty.

  3. du + fahren

    Umlauts count - ae, oe, ue and ss work for ä, ö, ü, ß

    Your word is empty.

  4. er + nehmen

    Umlauts count - ae, oe, ue and ss work for ä, ö, ü, ß

    Your word is empty.

  5. er + laufen

    Umlauts count - ae, oe, ue and ss work for ä, ö, ü, ß

    Your word is empty.

Pick the right one

0/5

Tap the right form.

  1. Ich Deutsch. (sprechen)

  2. Er den Bus. (nehmen)

  3. Wir nach Berlin. (fahren)

  4. Das Kind viel. (schlafen)

  5. Er das Buch. (halten)

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one wrong verb. Tap it.

Chapters 1 and 2 free

This article is one lesson in a whole course

Every grammar point has its own article and drill, and the course wraps them in graded stories, games and printable worksheets, in the order you need them.

Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.

Start learning free

German · Free printables

Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Free for members

The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.

Start your free week

Frequently asked questions

What are stem-changing verbs in German?
Strong verbs that change the vowel of their stem in the present tense, in the and er// forms only. gives and , but and . The endings are the normal ones; only the vowel moves.
How do I know if a German verb changes its vowel?
You cannot tell from the infinitive: changes ( ) and does not ( ). Dictionaries list the er form for every strong verb, so learn it with the infinitive: , . The common ones are a few dozen verbs, and they turn up constantly.
Does the vowel change in the plural?
Never. , and all keep the infinitive's vowel, and so does . The change is a - affair. with no umlaut is right; is a classic slip.
Why is it and not er hältet?
A stem ending in -t normally adds an extra e ( ), but verbs that change their vowel drop the -t ending instead: gives . The form keeps its -st: .
Do stem-changing verbs change in the imperative?
The e to i and e to ie verbs do, in the command: ! (speak slowly), ! (take that), ! (look). The a to ä verbs do not: ! (drive slowly), never fähr.