German Strong Verbs
Ablaut Classes
Strong-verb vowel patterns in German
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ablaut n. [G, fr. ab away from + Laut sound] (1849)
a systematic variation of vowels in the same root or
affix or in related roots or affixes esp. in the Indo-European
languages that is usu. paralleled by differences in use or
meaning (as in sing, sang, sung, song)
There are seven main ablaut classes or categories found in the conjugation of verbs in modern Germanic languages (German, Dutch, English, etc.). These vowel-shift patterns make it easier to learn how to conjugate strong verbs in German. Some German verbs even follow the identical English vowel pattern: German trinken, trank, getrunken vs. English drink, drank, drunk.
In modern German, classes 3b and 4 are identical. In English, Class 4 verbs have retained an -n in the past participle (broken, spoken) not found in Class 3b.
Use the table below to learn more about German strong-verb patterns and the ablaut classes. Click on a class to see German verbs in that class and the vowel pattern for that category. Also see the alphabetical list below.
| Ablaut Patterns in German Strong-Verb Conjugation Patterns Click on an ablaut class for details |
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| Note: Because the ablaut classes are based on the vowel sounds in Proto-Indo-European, Old English, and Old High German, the spelling of the vowels may differ in modern English and German. | ||
| Ablaut Class |
German Examples | English Examples |
| 1a. ei - i - i | beissen, biss, gebissen leiden, litt, gelitten |
drive, drove, driven slide, slid, slid |
| 1b. ei - ie - ie | bleiben, blieb, geblieben schreiben, schrieb, geschrieben |
|
| 2. ie - o - o | fliegen, flog, geflogen ziehen, zog, gezogen |
freeze, froze, frozen shoot, shot, shot |
| 3a. i - a - u/o | finden, fand, gefunden beginnen, begann, begonnen |
begin, began, begun sing, sang, sung |
| 3b. e - a - o | helfen, half, geholfen befehlen, befahl, befohlen |
win, won, won find, found, found |
| 4. e - a - o | See Class 3b Same as 3b in modern German |
break, broke, broken speak, spoke (spake), spoken |
| 5. e/i - a - e | essen, aß, gegessen bitten, bat, gebeten |
eat, ate, eaten give, gave, given |
| 6. a - u - a | graben, grub, gegraben | shake, shook, shaken |
| 7. [x] - ie - [x]* | blasen, blies, geblasen | fall, fell, fallen |
| *Class 7 verbs are uniform in having an ie past tense form, but the other vowels in the infinitive or past participle forms can vary: a/au/ei/o/u. See the chart for details. | ||
| Exceptions | Ausnahmen | Odd verb patterns |
| Mixed Verbs - German verbs that combine weak and strong forms | ||
BACK > Strong Verbs
| Ablaut Classes - Alphabetical List German Strong-Verb Vowel Patterns |
|
| a - ie - a (Class 7) | ei - i - i (Class 1a) |
| a - u - a (Class 6) | ei - ie - ie (Class 1b) |
| e - a - e (Class 5) | i - a - o/u (Class 3a) |
| e - a - o (Class 3b/4) | ie - o - o (Class 2) |
| e - o - o (Class 3b/4) | [x] - ie - [x] (Class 7) |
| Ablaut Class Exceptions | |
BACK > Strong Verbs
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MORE > Verb-Lexikon - All verbs (index)
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