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German Verbs flashcards, 32 cards. Hand-written and source-checked. The full set is on this page below.
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Practice German with 8 flashcards using spaced repetition.
Learning Tips for German
Learn Noun Genders
German has three genders - always learn the article with nouns.
Master Cases
Understanding cases is key to German grammar.
Practice Compound Words
German creates long compound words - break them down.
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Use Spaced Repetition
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Practice Daily
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Free German Verbs flashcards: 32-card starter set
This starter set covers the verb forms German learners most often need to memorize: sein, haben and werden, the principal parts of common strong and irregular verbs, modal verbs, and how separable and inseparable prefixes behave. Cards give the present tense where the vowel changes, the Präteritum and the Partizip II. It does not cover the Konjunktiv or the full list of strong verbs.
No signup needed. Progress saves in your browser, and in your account if you sign in. Reviewed 2026-10-17.
Sein, haben, werden and modals (6)
Strong verbs: principal parts (12)
More strong, mixed and irregular verbs (8)
Auxiliaries and prefixes (6)
What this set covers
How to study this set
German principal parts must be memorized as a set of three forms. Say them together rather than one at a time.
- 1Day 1
Learn sein, haben and werden. Say present, Präteritum and Partizip II as a chant, and write them with the correct umlauts and ß.
- 2Days 2-7
Add four or five strong verbs a day. For each, say the three forms and the auxiliary: "gehen, ging, ist gegangen".
- 3Week 2
Practice separable verbs by building a sentence and then the perfect. Place the ge- correctly each time.
- 4Final week
Mix all groups. For every verb you miss, add a card with the full principal parts and review daily.
Spaced repetition schedules each card to come back just before you would forget it, so reviews get shorter as your recall gets stronger. Cards you miss come back sooner.
Common mistakes to avoid
Say ich bin gegangen, not ich habe gegangen. Learn each movement or change-of-state verb together with sein.
Verbs such as nehmen, essen and fahren change vowel in the du and er forms (du nimmst, er isst, er fährt). Learn the er form with the verb.
In separable verbs, ge- goes in the middle (aufgestanden); in inseparable verbs it is absent (verstanden). Check the prefix first.
Denken, bringen and kennen take weak endings with a changed stem (dachte, brachte, kannte). They are not strong, nor fully regular.
Make your own from your notes
A starter set is a head start, not your whole course. Your class notes, slides and textbook are what your teacher actually tests, so turn them into cards too.
- Put the infinitive on the front and the three parts plus auxiliary on the back.
- Include the er form when the vowel changes in the present.
- Make sentence cards for separable verbs with the prefix blank, to practice word order.
- Add only verbs you actually missed, not whole lists.
German Verbs flashcards: questions
How many strong verbs do I need to learn?
A few dozen of the most frequent strong and irregular verbs cover most everyday German. Start with the ones in this deck and add more from your textbook.
What is the difference between Präteritum and Perfekt?
Both describe the past. In spoken German the Perfekt is more common, while the Präteritum is typical of written narration. Sein, haben and modals often use the Präteritum even when speaking.
Does stehen use haben or sein?
In standard German it is usually haben (ich habe gestanden), while sein is common in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Check what your course expects.
Why are the umlauts important?
They mark grammar: the vowel change in er fährt, er schläft and er läuft is written with an umlaut, and leaving it out is an error. Write umlauts and ß every time you practice.
Does this deck cover the Konjunktiv?
No. It focuses on the present, Präteritum and Partizip II.
Sources and review
These cards are an independent study aid, not official exam content, and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam body or publisher. They were written by hand and checked against the sources below on 2026-10-17. Always confirm details with your course materials and the current official documents.
- Wiktionary: nehmen — Entry for nehmen with its conjugation table; link checked, not read line by line.
- Wiktionary: wissen — Entry for wissen with its conjugation table; link checked, not read line by line.
- Wikipedia: German verbs — General reference on German verbs. The principal parts of the other verbs were written from standard course content and not individually looked up.
- DWDS: Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache — Reference dictionary for the forms of any individual verb; link checked.
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