100 German Verbs Face-Off (Part 1)

[B] to be | To be or not to be? 'Sein' is as fundamental in German as it gets (ich bin, du bist...). Even Shakespeare needed this verb!

[A] to have | Essential for possession and past tenses (ich habe, du hast...). Fun fact: Germans say 'Ich habe Hunger' (I have hunger) when they're hungry.

[D] to become | It means 'to become', but also does double-duty as the future and passive auxiliary (e.g., 'Es wird gemacht' – it's being done). Versatile, right?

[C] to be able to | It's one of the modal verbs. For example: 'Ich kann Deutsch verstehen.' (I can understand German.)

[A] to have to | It's one of the modal verbs. For example: 'Wir müssen jetzt gehen.' (We must go now.)

[D] to say | A handy verb you'll encounter often in German conversations.

[B] to do | It also means 'make'. Germans use 'machen' for making or doing almost anything, from homework to a sandwich.

[C] to give | You see it in 'es gibt' (there is/are). Also, many compounds like 'aufgeben' (give up) revolve around this little verb.

[C] to come | A core verb for motion. From 'Komm her!' (Come here!) to 'kommt Zeit, kommt Rat' (time brings advice), you'll hear it frequently.

[B] should | It's one of the modal verbs. For example: 'Er soll helfen.' (He's supposed to help.)

[D] to want | It's one of the modal verbs. For example: 'Ich will schlafen!' (I want to sleep!)

[A] to go | An everyday verb meaning 'to go/walk'. It's part of many phrases, like 'Wie geht's?' (How's it going?). Note: its past is irregular (ging, ist gegangen).

[C] to know | German splits 'to know': 'wissen' for facts (Ich weiß = I know), versus 'kennen' for familiarity. So, you 'wissen' a fact but 'kennen' a person.

[A] to see | Watch the vowel change: 'er sieht'. It's commonly used not only for literal seeing but also understanding (as in 'Ich sehe' meaning 'I see/understand').

[B] to let | It means 'to let/allow', but also 'to have something done'. E.g., 'Ich lasse mir die Haare schneiden' (I have my hair cut). Pretty useful!

[D] to stand | It means stand (physically). Also in contexts like text: 'Es steht hier' means 'it says here' (in writing). 'Stehen' stands for a lot of things!

[D] to find | Besides finding objects, it also means thinking in German: 'Ich finde das gut' (I find/think that's good).

[A] to stay | Means to remain/stay. As in the farewell phrase 'Bleib gesund!' (Stay healthy!). It's regular in past (blieb, ist geblieben).

[C] to lie | Not to be confused with 'lügen' (to lie, as in fib). 'Liegen' is all about lying down or being located somewhere (as in 'Berlin liegt in Deutschland').

[B] to be called | This is how you tell names: 'Ich heiße...' (I'm called...). It's one of the first phrases every German learner uses to introduce themselves.

[D] to think | A regular verb except for its past (dachte, gedacht). Use it for mental activity. (And yes, 'Danke' (thanks) is related historically to thinking graciously!).

[C] to take | Irregular stem in present (er nimmt) and past (nahm, genommen). You 'nehmen' things, and in idioms like 'etwas ernst nehmen' (take something seriously).

[A] to do | A shorter synonym for 'machen'. Its past is 'tat, getan'. You might hear 'Tut mir leid' (it does me sorrow) for 'I'm sorry'.

[B] to be allowed | Another modal verb (ich darf, du darfst). It's for permission: 'Darf ich?' means 'May I?'. And no, it’s not about petting deer ('Hirsch' in German)!

[C] to believe | It also means 'to think' in the sense of 'to believe something to be true'. You might say 'Ich glaube schon' (I think so) when you're not 100% certain.

[D] to stop | It has multiple meanings (stop/hold). You yell 'Halt!' to make someone stop, or 'Halte dich fest' (hold on tight). Context clarifies which!

[A] to name | To name or call someone something. For example, 'Wir nennen ihn Bär' (We call him Bear). It's the verb to bestow a name or nickname.

[B] to like | Means 'to like' (ich mag, du magst). Common for preferences: 'Ich mag Schokolade'. Also note the subjunctive form 'möchte' (would like) for polite requests.

[A] to show | Regular verb. 'Zeig mal!' (Show me!) might pop up when someone wants to see what you have. Also used reflexively as 'sich zeigen' (to show oneself, appear).

[B] to lead | Also 'to guide' or 'to conduct'. Think of a Führer (leader) or 'führen ein Gespräch' (lead a conversation). It’s a regular verb, nothing tricky in conjugation.