Lesson 27: The Present Tense and Regular Verbs with ich
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use regular verbs in the present tense with ich. This is a simple and useful first step because it helps you say what you do in German.
What you’ll learn
- what the present tense is
- what a regular verb is
- how to make the ich form
- how to build simple sentences with ich
What is the present tense?
The present tense is used to talk about things happening now or things you do regularly.
In English:
- I learn German.
- I live in Chicago.
- I work every day.
In German, you can also use one verb form to talk about what you do now or usually do.
What is a regular verb?
A regular verb follows a clear pattern.
That means the endings change in a predictable way.
Here are some regular verbs:
lernen = to learn
wohnen = to live
arbeiten = to work
kochen = to cook
spielen = to play
Learn about Regular German Verbs in depth.
The ich form
When the subject is ich, many regular verbs end in -e.
So the pattern is:
verb ending -en → remove -en → add -e
Examples
lernen → ich lerne
wohnen → ich wohne
arbeiten → ich arbeite
kochen → ich koche
spielen → ich spiele
This is one of the most important beginner patterns in German.
Verb table: regular verbs with ich
| Infinitive | ich form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lernen | ich lerne | I learn / I study |
| wohnen | ich wohne | I live |
| arbeiten | ich arbeite | I work |
| kochen | ich koche | I cook |
| spielen | ich spiele | I play |
Practice by filling in the blanks.
