Ablaut Class 1a - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - ei - i - i
German Verb

English Meaning

beien, biss, gebissen

bite, bit, bitten

bleichen, blich, geblichen

bleach, bleached, bleached

gleichen, glich, geglichen

resemble, resembled, resembled

gleiten, glitt, geglitten

glide, glided, glided

greifen, griff, gegriffen

grasp, grasped, grasped

leiden, litt, gelitten

suffer, suffered, suffered

pfeifen, pfiff, gepfiffen

whistle, whistled, whistled

reien, riss, gerissen

tear, tore, torn

reiten, ritt, geritten

ride, rode, ridden

scheien, schiss, geschissen

shit, shitted (shat), shitted

schleichen, schlich, geschlichen

sneak, sneaked, sneaked

schleifen, schliff, geschliffen

polish, polished, polished

schmeien, schmiss, geschmissen

toss, tossed, tossed

schneiden, schnitt, geschnitten

cut, cut, cut

schreiten, schritt, geschritten

step, stepped, stepped

spleien, spliss, gesplissen

splice, spliced, spliced

streichen, strich, gestrichen

spread, spread, spread

streiten, stritt, gestritten

argue, argued, argued

weichen, wich, gewichen

retreat, retreated, retreated

Ablaut Class 1b - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - ei - ie - ie
German Verb

English Meaning

bleiben, blieb, geblieben

stay, stayed, stayed

gedeihen, gedieh, gediehen

flourish, flourished, flourished

leihen, lieh, geliehen

loan. loaned, loaned

meiden, mied, gemieden

avoid, avoided, avoided

reiben, rieb, gerieben

rub, rubbed, rubbed

scheiden, schied, geschieden

part, parted, parted

scheinen, schien, geschienen

shine, shone, shone

schreiben, schrieb, geschrieben

write, wrote, written

schreien, schrie, geschrie(e)n

scream, screamed, screamed

schweigen, schwieg, geschwiegen

be silent, was silent, has been

silent

speien, spie, gespie(e)n

spew, spewed, spewed

steigen, stieg, gestiegen

climb, climbed, climbed

treiben, trieb, getrieben

drive, drove, driven

verzeihen, verzieh, verziehen

forgive, forgave, forgiven

weisen, wies, gewiesen

reject, rejected, rejected

Ablaut Class 2 - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - ie - o - o
German Verb

English Meaning

biegen, bog, gebogen

bend, bent, bent

bieten, bot, geboten

offer, offered, offered

fliegen, flog, geflogen

fly, flew, flown

fliehen, floh, geflohen

flee, fled, fled

flieen, floss, geflossen

flow, flowed, flowed

frieren, fror, gefroren

freeze, froze, frozen

genieen, genoss, genossen

enjoy, enjoyed, enjoyed

gieen, goss, gegossen

pour, poured, poured

kriechen, kroch, gekrochen

crawl, crawled, crawled

riechen, roch, gerochen

smell, smelled, smelled

schieben, schob, geschoben

shove, shoved, shoved

schieen, schoss, geschossen

shoot, shot, shot

schlieen, schloss, geschlossen

close, closed, closed

sprieen, spross, gesprossen

sprout, sprouted, sprouted

stieben, stob, gestoben

spray, sprayed, sprayed

verlieren, verlor, verloren

lose, lost, lost

ziehen, zog, gezogen

pull, pulled, pulled

Ablaut Class 3a - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - i - a - u
German Verb

English Meaning

binden, band, gebunden

tie, tied, tied

dringen, drang, gedrungen

press, pressed, pressed

finden, fand, gefunden

find, found, found

gelingen, gelang, gelungen

succeed, succeeded, succeeded

klingen, klang, geklungen

sound, sounded, sounded

ringen, rang, gerungen

ring, rang, rung

schlingen, schlang, geschlungen

wrap, wrapped, wrapped

schwinden, schwand, geschwunden dwindle, dwindled, dwindled

schwingen, schwang, geschwungen vibrate, vibrated, vibrated
singen, sang, gesungen

sing, sang, sung

sinken, sank, gesunken

sink sank, sunk

springen, sprang, gesprungen

spring, sprang, sprung

stinken, stank, gestunken

stink, stank, stunk

trinken, trank, getrunken

drink, drank, drunk

verschwinden, verschwand,
verschwunden

disappear, disappeared,
disappeared

zwingen, zwang, gezwungen

force, forced, forced

Class 3: i - a - o
German Verb

English Meaning

beginnen, begann, begonnen

begin, began, begun

gewinnen, gewann, gewonnen

win, won, won

rinnen, rann, geronnen

trickle, trickled, trickled

schwimmen, schwamm,
geschwommen

swim, swam, swum

Ablaut Class 3b - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - e - a - o
German Verb
befehlen, befahl, befohlen

English Meaning
command, commanded,
commanded

bergen, barg, geborgen

rescue, rescued, rescued

bersten, barst, geborsten

burst, bursted, bursted

brechen, brach, gebrochen

break, broke, broken

gebren, gebar, geboren

give birth, gave birth, given birth

gelten, galt, gegolten

apply, applied, applied (to)

helfen, half, geholfen

help, helped, helped

nehmen, nahm, genommen

take, took, taken

schelten, schalt, gescholten

scold, scolded, scolded

schrecken, schrack, geschrocken

frighten, frightened, frightened

sprechen, sprach, gesprochen

speak, spoke, spoken

stehlen, stahl, gestohlen

steal, stole, stolen

sterben, starb, gestorben

die, died, died

treffen, traf, getroffen

meet, met, met

verderben, verdarb, verdorben

spoil, spoiled, spoiled

werden, wurde (ward), geworden

become, became, become

werfen, warf, geworfen

throw, threw, thrown

Class 3b: e - o - o

German Verb

English Meaning

dreschen, drosch, gedroschen

thresh, threshed, threshed

fechten, focht, gefochten

fence, fenced, fenced

flechten, flocht, geflochten

braid, braided, braided

quellen, quoll, gequollen

stream, streamed, streamed

schmelzen, schmolz, geschmolzen

thaw, thawed, thawed

schwellen, schwoll, geschwollen

swell, swelled, swollen

Ablaut Class 3b - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - e - a - o
German Verb

English Meaning

befehlen, befahl, befohlen

command, commanded,
commanded

bergen, barg, geborgen

rescue, rescued, rescued

bersten, barst, geborsten

burst, bursted, bursted

brechen, brach, gebrochen

break, broke, broken

gebren, gebar, geboren

give birth, gave birth, given birth

gelten, galt, gegolten

apply, applied, applied (to)

helfen, half, geholfen

help, helped, helped

nehmen, nahm, genommen

take, took, taken

schelten, schalt, gescholten

scold, scolded, scolded

schrecken, schrack, geschrocken

frighten, frightened, frightened

sprechen, sprach, gesprochen

speak, spoke, spoken

stehlen, stahl, gestohlen

steal, stole, stolen

sterben, starb, gestorben

die, died, died

treffen, traf, getroffen

meet, met, met

verderben, verdarb, verdorben

spoil, spoiled, spoiled

werden, wurde (ward), geworden

become, became, become

werfen, warf, geworfen

throw, threw, thrown

Class 3b: e - o - o

German Verb

English Meaning

dreschen, drosch, gedroschen

thresh, threshed, threshed

fechten, focht, gefochten

fence, fenced, fenced

flechten, flocht, geflochten

braid, braided, braided

quellen, quoll, gequollen

stream, streamed, streamed

schmelzen, schmolz, geschmolzen

thaw, thawed, thawed

schwellen, schwoll, geschwollen

swell, swelled, swollen

Ablaut Class 5 - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - e - a - e
German Verb

English Meaning

essen, a, gegessen

eat, ate, eaten

geben, gab, gegeben

give, gave, given

genesen, genas, genesen

recuperate, recuperated,
recuperated

geschehen, geschah, geschehen

happen, happened, happened

lesen, las, gelesen

read, read, read

messen, ma, gemessen

measure, measured, measured

sehen, sah, gesehen

see, saw, seen

treten, trat, getreten

step, stepped, stepped

vergessen, verga, vergessen

forget, forgot, forgot

Class 5: i/ie - a - e
German Verb

English Meaning

bitten, bat, gebeten

request, requested, requested

liegen, lag, gelegen

recline, reclined, reclined

sitzen, sa, gesessen

sit, sat, sat

Ablaut Class 6 - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts - a - u - a
Also see irregular Class 6 verbs below.
German Verb

English Meaning

graben, grub, gegraben

dig, dug, dug

laden, lud, geladen

load, loaded, loaded

schaffen, schuf, geschaffen

create, created, created

tragen, trug, getragen

carry, carried, carried

Class 6: a - [a] - a
The following verbs follow the Class 6 pattern
only in part; the past tense form is weak.
German Verb

English Meaning

backen, backte (buk)*, gebacken

bake, baked, baked

fragen, fragte (frug)**, gefragt

ask, asked, asked

*Although backen has a weak past in modern German, its past participle
is strong. The strong past tense form buk is rarely used today.
**The verb fragen is weak in modern German. The strong past tense
form frug is rarely used today.
mahlen, [mahlte], gemahlen

grind, gound, ground

salzen, [salzte], gesalzen

salt, salted, salted

Ablaut Class 7 - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts (a-ie-a)
German Verb

English Meaning

Class 7: a - ie - a
blasen, blies, geblasen

blow, blew, blown

braten, briet, gebraten

roast, roasted, roasted

fallen, fiel, gefallen

fall, fell, fallen

halten, hielt, gehalten

hold, held, held

raten, riet, geraten

advise, advised, advised

schlafen, schlief, geschlafen

sleep, slept, slept

Class 7: au - ie - au
laufen, lief, gelaufen

run, ran, run

Class 7: ei - ie - ei
be named, was named, has been
named

heien, hiess, geheien

Class 7: o - ie - o
stoen, stie, gestoen

bump, bumped, bumped

Class 7: u - ie - u

rufen, rief, gerufen

call, called, called

Class 7: a/ - i - a/
Anomaly with i rather than ie

fangen, fing, gefangen

catch, caught, caught

hngen, hing, gehangen

hang, hanged, hanged

Ablaut Class 7 - German

German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns

Principal Parts (a-ie-a)
German Verb

English Meaning
Class 7: a - ie - a

blasen, blies, geblasen

blow, blew, blown

braten, briet, gebraten

roast, roasted, roasted

fallen, fiel, gefallen

fall, fell, fallen

halten, hielt, gehalten

hold, held, held

raten, riet, geraten

advise, advised, advised

schlafen, schlief, geschlafen

sleep, slept, slept

Class 7: au - ie - au

laufen, lief, gelaufen

run, ran, run

Class 7: ei - ie - ei

heien, hiess, geheien

be named, was named, has been

named
Class 7: o - ie - o

stoen, stie, gestoen

bump, bumped, bumped

Class 7: u - ie - u

rufen, rief, gerufen

call, called, called

Class 7: a/ - i - a/
Anomaly with i rather than ie

fangen, fing, gefangen

catch, caught, caught

hngen, hing, gehangen

hang, hanged, hanged