German Verbs, The Top 20 Most-Used

Ranked by Frequency of UseInfinitiv Common Forms Examples1seinto be ich bin I amdu bist you areer war he waser ist gewesen he was/has beenes wäre it would be COMMANDSSei still! Be quiet!Seien Sie bitte so freundlich! Would you be so kind!OTHERIch bin's. It's me.Wie wär's mit einem Bier? How about a beer?2habento have ich habe I havedu hast you haveer hat he hasSie haben gehabt You had/have hadwir hätten we would have COMMANDSHab dich nicht so! Don't make such a fuss!OTHEREr hat keine Zeit. He has no time.Wenn ich nur das Geld hätte. If I only had the money.3werdento become

Also used toform thefuture tenseand thepassive voice. ich werde I becomedu wirst you becomeer ist geworden he becamees wurde it becamees würde.. it would... COMMANDSwerde! become!werden Sie! become!OTHEREs wird dunkel. It's getting dark.Sie wird uns schreiben. She will write us. (future)Der Brief wurde geschrieben. The letter was written. (passive)4könnento be able, can ich kann I candu kannst you caner konnte he could

Sie können you can COMMANDSNo imperativeOTHEREr kann Deutsch. He knows German.Ich habe es nicht sagen können. I couldn't say it.5müssento have to, must ich muss I must/have todu musst you muster muss he mustsie musste she had towir müssen we have to COMMANDSNo imperativeOTHERIch muss nicht. I don't have to.Er muss nach Berlin. He has to go to Berlin.6wollento want (to) ich will I want (to)du willst you want (to)er will he wants (to)er wollte he wanted tosie hat gewollt she wanted to COMMANDSImperative rareOTHEREr will nichts trinken. He doesn't want to drink anything.Das habe ich nicht gewollt. I didn't mean to (do that).Wir wollen morgen abfahren. We want to leave tomorrow.7mögento like (to) ich mag I likeich möchte I would likedu magst you likeer mochte he likedSie mögen you like COMMANDSNo imperativeOTHEREr mag die Suppe. He likes the soup.Was möchten Sie? What would you like?8wissento know ich weiß I knowdu weißt you knowwir wissen we knower wusste he knewich habe gewusst I knew, have known COMMANDSwisse! know!wisset! know!OTHEREr weiß es nicht. He doesn't know.Sie wusste weder ein noch aus. She didn't know which way was up.

Wissen Sie, wann sie ankommen? Do you know when they arrive?9machento make, do ich mache I do, makedu machst you makeer macht he doeswir machten we did, madeer hat gemacht he did, has doneich werde machen I will do, make COMMANDSMachen Sie sich keine Gedanken! Don't worry about it!OTHERDas macht nichts. It doesn't matter.Was macht das? What does it come to? (How much?)Was machen wir jetzt? Now what do we do?10sollenshould,ought to,supposed to ich soll I shoulddu sollst you shoulder soll he shouldsie sollte she was supposed towir sollen we ought to COMMANDSNo imperativeOTHERIch sollte dort bleiben. I ought to stay there.Es soll schön sein. It's said to be/supposed to be nice.Was soll das? What's that supposed to mean?

The Top 20Most-Used German Verbs (2)Ranked by Usage FrequencyInfinitiv Common Forms Examples11 Tieheißento be called, named(my/his) name is ich heiße my name issie heißt her name isdu heißt your name iser hieß his name waser hat geheißen he was namedwir heißen our name isHeißen Sie…? Is your name…? COMMANDS N/AOTHERWie heißen Sie? What's your name? (last name)Ich heiße Jones. My name is Jones.Er heißt Braun. His name is Braun.Wie heißt du? What's your name? (child)Ich heiße Karl. My name is Karl. (child)Was soll das heißen? What's that supposed to mean?/What do you mean by that?11 Tie

sagento say, tell ich sage I saydu sagst you sayer sagte he saider hat gesagt he said/has saidwir sagen we saysagen Sie? do you say?/are you saying? COMMANDSSag das nicht! Don't say it!Sagen Sie mir! Tell me!OTHEREr sagt, was er denkt. He says what he means/thinks.Das sagt mir nichts. That doesn't mean anything to me.Du hast nichts zu sagen. You have no say (in the matter).12gehento go ich gehe I go, am goingdu gehst you goer geht he goessie ist gegangen she went/has goneer ging he went COMMANDSgehe! go! geht! go!gehen Sie! go!OTHERDas geht nicht. That won't do/work.Wie geht es Ihnen? How are you?Meine Uhr geht nach.My watch is slow.Sie geht zu FußShe goes on foot./She walks.13sehento see ich sehe I seedu siehst you seeer sieht he seeser hat gesehen he saw/has seensie sah she sawwir sahen we saw COMMANDSsehe! see!sehen Sie! see!OTHERSie sieht nicht gut. She doesn't see well.Wo hast du ihn gesehen? Where did you see him?14gebento give ich gebe I givedu gibst you giveer gab he gaveSie geben you givees gibt there is/are COMMANDSgebt! give! gib! give!geben Sie! give!

OTHERGeben Sie mir den Bleistift! Give me the pencil.Es gibt kein Geld. There is no money.Ich gab ihr das Buch. I gave her the book.Er hat mir das Geld gegeben. He gave me the money.15kommento come ich komme I come, am comingdu kommst you comeer kam he camesie ist gekommen she came COMMANDSkomm! come!kommt! come!kommen Sie! come!OTHERIch komme nicht nach Hause. I'm not coming home.Er ist nach Berlin gekommen. He came to Berlin.Woher kommt sie? Where does she come from?Es kam ganz anders, als erwartet. It turned out very differently than we expected.16lassento let, allow,leave ich lasse I letdu lässt you leter lässt he letsSie haben gelassen You have leter ließ he let COMMANDSLassen Sie das! Stop that! Leave that alone!OTHEREr ließ sich keine Zeit. He didn't allow himself any time.Das lasse ich mir nicht gefallen. I won't put up with that.Er lässt sich die Haare schneiden. He's getting a haircut.17findento find ich finde I findich fand I founddu findest you finder fand he foundSie haben gefunden you found/have found COMMANDSfinde! find! findet! find!finden Sie! find!OTHEREr fand die Suppe gut. He liked the soup.Wir finden keinen Platz. We can't find a seat.18bleibento stay, remainich bleibe I staydu bleibst you staywir bleiben we stayer blieb he stayedich bin geblieben I stayed, have stayed COMMANDSbleib! stay!

bleibt! stay!Bitte, bleiben Sie sitzen! Please remain seated!OTHEREr bleibt in Köln. He's staying in Cologne.Alles blieb beim Alten. Everything stayed the same./Nothing changed.Es bleibt dabei. Agreed. It's a deal.19nehmento take ich nehme I takedu nimmst you takeer nimmt he takeswir nehmen we takeer hat genommen he took, has takenich werde nehmen I will take COMMANDSnimm! take! nehmt! take!nehmen Sie! take!Nehmen Sie Platz! Have a seat!OTHEREr nahm das Geld. He took the money.Sie nahm es auf sich, das zu machen. She took it upon herself to do that.Wir haben den Tag freigenommen. We took the day off.20bringento bring ich bringe I bringdu bringst you bringer brachte he broughtsie hat gebracht she brought, has brought COMMANDSbring! bring bringt! bringbringen Sie! bringOTHERIch bringe Sie dorthin. I'll take you there.Er hat es weit gebracht. He has been very successful./He has come far.Was bringt das? What will that accomplish?Das hat mich zum Lachen gebracht. That made me laugh.

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Modalverben 2 - Modal Verbs 2PRÄSENS(Present) PRÄTERITUM(Preterite/Past) PERFEKT(Pres. Perfect)MÜSSEN - have to, mustich mussI must, have to ich mussteI had to ich habe gemusst *I had todu musstyou must, have to du musstestyou had to du hast gemusst *you had to

er/sie musshe/she must er/sie musstehe/she had to er/sie hat gemusst *he/she had towir/Sie/sie müssenwe/you/they have to wir/Sie/sie musstenwe/you/they had to wir/Sie/sie haben gemusst *we/you/they had toihr müsstyou (pl.) must ihr musstetyou (pl.) had to ihr habt gemusst *you (pl.) had to* In the present perfect or past perfect tense with another verb, the double infinitive construction is used, as in the following examples:ihr habt sprechen müssen = you (pl.) had to speak

ich hatte sprechen müssen = I had had to speak

Note: The old spelling with ß, as in ich muß or gemußt, is no longer used for forms of müssen.

Sample Modal Sentences

The 20 Most-Used German Verbs

Copyright © 2003-2005 german.about.com

SOLLEN - should, ought to, supposed toich sollI should ich sollteI should have ich habe gesollt *I should havedu sollstyou should du solltestyou should have du hast gesollt *you should haveer/sie sollhe/she should er/sie solltehe/she should have er/sie hat gesollt *he/she should havewir/Sie/sie sollenwe/you/they should wir/Sie/sie solltenwe/you/they should have wir/Sie/sie haben gesollt *we/you/they should haveihr solltyou (pl.) should ihr solltetyou (pl.) should have ihr habt gesollt *you (pl.) should have* In the present perfect or past perfect tense with another verb, the double infinitive construction is used, as in the following examples:wir haben gehen sollen = we should have gone

ich hatte fahren sollen = I had been supposed to drive

Sample Modal Sentences

The 20 Most-Used German Verbs

Copyright © 2003-2005 german.about.com

WOLLEN - want toich willI want to ich wollteI wanted to ich habe gewollt *I wanted todu willstyou want to du wolltestyou wanted to du hast gewollt *you wanted toer/sie willhe/she wants to er/sie wolltehe/she wanted to er/sie hat gewollt *he/she wanted towir/Sie/sie wollenwe/you/they want to wir/Sie/sie wolltenwe/you/they wanted to wir/Sie/sie haben gewollt *we/you/they wanted toihr wolltyou (pl.) want to ihr wolltetyou (pl.) wanted to ihr habt gewollt *you (pl.) wanted to* In the present perfect or past perfect tense with another verb, the double infinitive construction is used, as in the following examples:wir haben sprechen wollen = we wanted to speak

ich hatte gehen wollen = I had wanted to go

–––––––––German Modal VerbsPart 3: Sample Sentences

Modal Verbs in Various TensesWith sample sentences

Lesson 16 > Modals 1 > Modals 2 > Modal Examples

With the Subjunctive (Konjunktiv) mood

Also see: Modal Verbs 1 and Modal Verbs 2

1. dürfen (to be permitted, may)

Present: Darf ich rauchen? May I smoke?

Past/Preterite: Er durfte das nicht. He wasn't permitted to do that.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Er hat dort nicht parken dürfen. He was not permitted to park there.Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Wir hatten das damals machen dürfen. We had been allowed to do that back then.Future/Futur: Wir werden das machen dürfen. We will be allowed to do that.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Wenn ich dürfte... If I were permitted...

NOTE: For all modals with umlauts, the simple past (preterite/Imperfekt) has no umlaut, but the subjunctive form always has an umlaut!Sample Idiomatic Expressions:Was darf es sein? May I help you? (store clerk)Wenn ich bitten darf. If you please.2. können (to be able, can, know)

Present: Er kann gut fahren. He can drive well.Past/Preterite: Er konnte sie nicht leiden. He couldn't stand her.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Er hat sie nicht leiden können. He couldn't stand her.Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Er hatte sie nicht leiden können. He had not been able to stand her.Future/Futur: Er wird sie nicht leiden können. He won't be able to stand her.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Wenn ich ihn nur leiden könnte... If I could only stand him...

NOTE: For all modals with umlauts, the simple past (preterite/Imperfekt) has no umlaut, but the subjunctive form always has an umlaut!Sample Idiomatic Expressions:Sie könnten sich irren. You could be mistaken.Das kann man wohl sagen. You can say that again.Er kann Deutsch. He knows German. ("can German")Er kann Sie jetzt sprechen. He can see you now. (doctor, dentist)

3. müssen (to have to, must)

Present: Ich muss dort Deutsch sprechen. I have to speak German there.Past/Preterite: Er musste es nicht tun. He didn't have to do it.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Wir haben mit der Bahn fahren müssen. We had to go by train.Future/Futur: Sie wird morgen abfahren müssen. She will have to depart tomorrow.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Wenn ich müsste... If I had to...

NOTE: For all modals with umlauts, the simple past (preterite/Imperfekt) has no umlaut, but the subjunctive form always has an umlaut!Sample Idiomatic Expressions:Ich muss nach Hause. I have to go home.Muss das sein? Is that really necessary?So müsste es immer sein. That's how it should be all the time.

4. mögen (to like)

Present: Er mag die Suppe. He likes the soup.Past/Preterite: Er mochte die Stadt nicht. He didn't like the city.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Er hat das Essen nicht gemocht. He didn't like the food.Future/Futur: Er wird das schon mögen. He'll like that.

Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Ja, er möchte Wein. Yes, he'd like (some) wine.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Ich möchte... I would like...

NOTE: For all modals with umlauts, the simple past (preterite/Imperfekt) has no umlaut, but the subjunctive form always has an umlaut!Sample Idiomatic Expressions:Das mag wohl sein. That well may be. / That may be so.Das mag der Himmel verhütten! Heaven forbid!Er mag/mochte etwa 1,3 Meter groß sein. He must be/must have been about 1.3 meters tall.5. sollen (to be supposed to, should/ought to)

Present: Er soll reich sein. He's supposed to be rich. / It's said that he's rich.Past/Preterite: Er sollte gestern ankommen. He was supposed to arrive yesterday.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Du hast ihn anrufen sollen. You should have called him.Future (in sense of): Er soll das morgen haben. He'll have that tomorrow.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Das hättest du nicht tun sollen. You shouldn't have done that.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Wenn ich sollte... If I should...Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Sollte sie anrufen... If she should (happen to) call...Sample Idiomatic Expressions:Das Buch soll sehr gut sein. The book is said to be very good.Du sollst damit sofort aufhören! You're to stop that right now!Was soll das (heißen)? What's that supposed to mean? What's the idea?Es soll nicht wieder vorkommen. It won't happen again.

6. wollen (to want to, said to be)

Present: Sie will nicht gehen. She doesn't want to go.Past/Preterite: Ich wollte das Buch lesen. I wanted to read the book.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Sie haben den Film immer sehen wollen. They have always wanted to see the movie.Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Wir hatten den Film immer sehen wollen. We had always wantedto see the movie.Future/Futur: Er wird gehen wollen. He will want to go.Subjunctive/Konjunktiv: Wenn ich wollte... If I wanted to...Sample Idiomatic Expressions:Das will nicht viel sagen. That's of little consequence. That doesn't mean much.Er will es nicht gesehen haben. He claims not to have seen it.Das hat er nicht gewollt. That's not what he intended.

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50 Common German VerbsClick on any linked verb for a full conjugationDeutsch English 2nd/3rd Per. Sing.Sample Sentenceantworten to answer Er antwortet nicht.arbeiten to workEr arbeitet heute.bedeuten to mean, signify Was bedeutet dieses Wort?beginnen to begin Wann beginnt der Film?bekommen to get, receive Was bekommen Sie?

What can I get for you?bestellen to order Er bestellt es online.besuchen to visit Wir besuchen meine Tante in Berlin.bezahlen to pay Bezahlen wir jetzt?bleibento stay, remainWir bleiben hier.bringen to bring, take Ich bringe Sie zum Flughafen.I'll take you to the airport.danken to thank Ich danke Ihnen. (dative verb)Danke! > 10 Ways to Say 'Thank You' in Germandenken to thinkWas denken Sie darüber?What do you think about that?essen to eat du/er isstWann isst du zu Mittag?When do you eat lunch?fahren to travel,drive, go du fährst/er fährtIch fahre morgen nach Dresden.I'm going/traveling to Dresden tomorrow.finden to find Wie finden Sie den Film?What do you think of the movie?fliegen to fly Er fliegt nach Boston.fragen to ask Fragst du mich?geben to give du gibst/er gibtWann gibst du ihm das Buch?es gibt = there is/there aregehen to go Wir gehen ins Kino.helfen to help du hilfst/er hilftHelfen Sie mir! (dative verb)hören to hear, listen Hörst du die Musik?kaufen to buy Ich kaufe die Postkarte.Also see: Present Tense Quiz 1A self-scoring quiz on the German regular verbs.kommen to come Wann kommt er nach Hause?kosten to cost Was kostet das Buch?lesen to read du/er liestIch lese die Zeitung.lieben to love Ich liebe dich.machen to make, do Was macht er?nehmen to take du nimmst/er nimmtNehmt ihr das Geld?öffnen to open Sie öffnet die Tür.MORE > Verb-Lexikon - 500+ German verbsprobieren to try (out) Probieren geht über Studieren.(saying)The proof's in the pudding.regnen to rain Es regnet heute.reisen to travel Er reist nach Teneriffa.sagen to say, tell Er sagt nein.schlafen to sleep du schläfst/er schläftWir schlafen gut.schmecken to taste, be tasty Das schmeckt!That tastes good!

schreiben to writeEr schreibt eine Mail.schwimmen to swim Er schwimmt gern.He likes to swim.sehen to see du siehst/er siehtIch sehe ihn nicht.senden to send, transmit Er sendet eine E-Mail.setzen to put, set Er setzt sich.He sits down.singen to sing Sie singt sehr schön.spielento play, act Hans spielt Fußball.sprechen to speak du sprichst/er sprichtIch spreche Deutsch.suchento seek, searchlook for Was suchst du?What are you looking for?trinken to drink Ich trinke lieber Kaffee.I'd rather drink coffee.vergessen to forget du vergisst/er vergisstIch vergesse den Namen.verstehen to understand Er versteht Deutsch.warten to wait Sie wartet auf den Bus.She's waiting for the bus.wohnen to reside, live (in) Mein Vater wohnt in Hamburg.zeigen to show, indicate Ich zeige Ihnen, wo das ist.

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Starke Verben - Strong Verbs - A-FINFINITIV PRÄTERITUM(Preterite) PERFEKT(Past Participle) A A Aanfangen begin fing an began angefangen begunankommen arrive kam an arrived ist angekommen arrivedanrufen call up rief an called up angerufen called up B B Bbacken bake backte baked gebacken bakedbefehlen command befahl commanded befohlen commandedbeginnen begin begann began begonnen begunbeißen bite biss bit gebissen bittenbekommen get, receive bekam got bekommen gottenbergen salvage barg salvaged geborgen salvagedbersten burst barst burst geborsten burstbetrügen deceive betrog deceived betrogen deceivedbiegen bend bog bent gebogen bentbieten offer bot offered geboten offeredbinden tie band tied gebunden tiedbitten request bat requested gebeten requestedblasen blow blies blew geblasen blown See the ablaut groups for learning the various patterns (a-ie-a, a-u-a, e-a-o, etc.) of German strong verbs.

bleiben stay blieb stayed ist geblieben stayedbleichen bleach blich bleached geblichen bleachedbraten roast briet roasted gebraten roastedbrechen break brach broke gebrochen brokenbrennen* burn brannte burned gebrannt burnedbringen* bringbrachte brought gebracht brought *Both brennen and bringen are "mixed" verbs, combining elements of strong and weak verbs. For more see our Mixed Verbs page. D D Ddenken* think dachte thought gedacht thought *The verb denken is a "mixed" verb, combining elements of strong and weak verbs. For more see our Mixed Verbs page.dreschen thresh drosch threshed gedroschen thresheddringen force drang forced gedrungen forceddürfen may durfte was allowed gedurft* been allowed *Used with an infinitive, as for all modals, the past participle is the infinitive dürfen: "Wir haben nicht gehen dürfen." E E Eempfangen receive empfing received empfangen receivedempfehlen recommend empfahl recommended empfohlen recommendederfinden invent erfand invented erfunden inventederlöschen extinguish erlosch extinguished erloschen extinguishederschallen echo, sound erscholl sounded erschollen soundederschrecken* scare erschrak scared erschrocken scared *This verb has both strong (passive) and weak (active) forms: "Ich habe ihn erschreckt." (I scared him.) and "Ich erschrak bei der Explosion." (I was startled/scared by the explosion.)essen eat aß ate gegessen eaten F F Ffahren travel fuhr traveled ist gefahren traveledfallen fall fiel fell ist gefallen fallenfangen catch fing caught gefangen caughtfechten fence focht fenced gefochten fencedfinden find fand found gefunden foundfliegen fly flog flew ist geflogen flownfliehen flee floh fled ist geflohen fledfließen flow floss flowed ist geflossen flowedfressen gorge fraß gorged gefressen gorgedfrieren freeze fror froze gefroren* frozen *The verb frieren takes the helping verb haben or sein, depending on its meaning. In most cases ("to be cold") it is "hat gefroren," but in the meaning of "to freeze, turn into ice," it is "Der Boden / Das Wasser ist steif gefroren." (The ground / water has frozen solid.)frohlocken rejoice frohlockte rejoiced frohlockt rejoiced

Starke Verben - Strong Verbs - G-MINFINITIV PRÄTERITUM(Preterite) PERFEKT(Past Participle) Ggären fermentgor fermentedgegoren fermentedgebären bear (child) gebar bore geboren borngeben give gab gave gegeben given

gedeihen flourish gedieh flourished ist gediehen flourishedgefallen be pleasing, like gefiel liked gefallen likedgehen go ging went ist gegangen gonegelingen succeed gelang succeeded ist gelungen succeededgelten be valid galt was valid gegolten been validgenesen recover genas recovered genesen recoveredgenießen enjoy genoß enjoyed genossen enjoyedgeschehen happen geschah happened ist geschehen happenedgewinnen win gewann won gewonnen wongießen pour goß poured gegossen pouredgleichen resemble glich resembled geglichen resembledgleiten glide, slide glitt glided ist geglitten glidedglimmen glow, smoulder glomm* glowed ist geglommen* glowed *Also glimmte and hat geglimmt (weak)graben dig grub dug gegraben duggreifen grasp griff grasped gegriffen grasped Hhaben have hatte had gehabt had For the complete conjugation of the verb haben in the present tense, see Lesson 4 of German for Beginners.halten hold hielt held gehalten heldhängen hang hing hung/hanged* gehangen hung/hanged* *The verb hängen is weak in transitive situations ("Er hängte das Bild an die Wand.") and strong in intransitive situations ("Das Bild hing an der Wand.").hauen hew, hit haute* hit gehauen hit *The strong past form hieb is used when the meaning is "struck (him) with a weapon."heben lift hob lifted gehoben liftedheißen be called hieß named geheißen namedhelfen help half helped geholfen helped See the ablaut groups for learning the various patterns (a-u-a, e-a-o, etc.) of German strong verbs. Kkennen* know kannte knew gekannt known *The verb kennen is a "mixed" verb, combining elements of strong and weak verbs. For more see our Mixed Verbs page.klingen ring klang rang geklungen rungkneifen pinch kniff pinched gekniffen pinchedkommen come kam came ist gekommen comekönnen can konnte could gekonnt* could *With an infinitive, the past participle is können: "Ich habe nicht gehen können."kriechen crawl kroch crawledist gekrochen crawled Lladen load lud loaded geladen loadedlassen let, allow ließ letgelassen letlaufen run lief ran ist gelaufen runleiden suffer litt suffered gelitten sufferedleihen lend lieh lent geliehen lentlesen read las read gelesen readliegen* lie lag laygelegen lain *Do not confuse liegen (lie, recline, strong) and (sich) legen (lay, put, weak)!lügen lie log lied gelogen lied

Mmahlen grind mahlte ground gemahlen groundmeiden avoid mied avoided gemieden avoidedmessen measure maß measured gemessen measuredmisslingen fail misslang failed misslungen failedmögen like mochte liked gemocht* liked *With an infinitive, the past participle is mögen: "Sie hat nicht gehen mögen."müssen must musste had to gemusst* had to *Used with an infinitive, as with all modals, the past participle is the infinitive müssen: "Wir haben nicht gehen müssen.”

Starke Verben - Strong Verbs - N-SchwINFINITIV PRÄTERITUM(Preterite) PERFEKT(Past Participle)Nnehmen take nahm took genommen takennennen name nannte named genannt namedPpfeifen whistle pfiff whistled gepfiffen whistledpreisen praise pries praised gepriesen praisedQquellen gush quoll* gushed ist gequollen* gushed*Also has the weak forms quellte and hat gequellt.Rraten advise riet advised geraten advisedreiben rub rieb rubbed gerieben rubbedreißen tear riss tore gerissen tornreiten* ride ritt rode ist geritten ridden*The verb reiten is only used for riding an animal (e.g., horseback riding); to express "ride" in a transportation sense (bus, train, etc.), fahren is used.rennen run rannte ran ist gerannt run*The verb rennen is a "mixed" verb, combining elements of strong and weak verbs. For more see our Mixed Verbs page.riechen smell roch smelled gerochen smelledringen wring rang wrung gerungen wrungrinnen flow rann flowed ist geronnen flowedrufen call rief called gerufen calledSsalzen salt salzte salted gesalzen/gesalzt saltedsaufen drink soff drank gesoffen drunksaugen suck sog* sucked gesogen* sucked* Also has the weak forms saugte and hat gesaugt. In technical use, only the weak form is used.schaffen create;accomplish, make schuf* created geschaffen* created*The strong forms schuf/hat geschaffen are used when the meaning is "created" ("Sie hat schöne Sachen geschaffen."). To express "accomplished" or "made it," the weak forms schaffte/hat geschafft are used: "Er hat es geschafft (ein Tor zu machen)!"scheiden depart; separate schied separated geschieden* separated*In the sense of "leave" or "depart" scheiden takes sein as a helping verb: "Karl ist aus dem Dienst geschieden."

scheinen shine schien shone geschienen shonescheißen shit schiss shit geschissen shitschelten scold schalt scolded gescholten scoldedschießen shoot schoss shot geschossen shotSee the ablaut groups for learning the various patterns (a-u-a, e-a-o, etc.) of German strong verbs.schlafen sleep schlief slept geschlafen sleptschlagen hit schlug hit geschlagen hitschleichen sneak schlich sneaked ist geschlichen sneakedschleifen polish schliff* polished geschliffen* polished*Although the strong form is preferred, schleifte and hat geschleift (weak) are also used.schleißen slit schliß slit geschlissen slitschließen close, lock schloss closedgeschlossen closedschlingen gulp (down)schlang gulped geschlungen gulpedschmeißen fling, toss schmiss flung geschmissen flungschmelzen melt schmolz melted geschmolzen meltedschneiden cut schnitt cut geschnitten cutschrecken scare schrak/schreckte scared geschreckt/geschrocken scaredschreiben write schrieb wrote geschrieben writtenschreien scream schrie screamed geschrien screamedschreiten step schritt steppedist geschritten steppedschweigen be silent schwieg was silent geschwiegen been silentschwellen* swell, rise schwoll swelled ist geschwollen swollen*There are two forms of schwellen: (1) strong (above) for the sense of "to swell up/fill with wind,"and (2) weak to "fill (something) up with wind/to swell (something) up."schwimmen swim schwamm swam ist geschwommen swumschwinden dwindle schwand dwindled ist geschwunden dwindledschwingen swing schwang swung geschwungen swungschwören swear schwur/schwor swore geschworen sworn

Starke Verben - Strong Verbs - Se-ZINFINITIV PRÄTERITUM(Preterite) PERFEKT(Past Participle)Sesehen see sah saw gesehen seensein bewar was ist gewesen beenFor the conjugation of sein in the present tense, see Lesson 4 of German for Beginners.senden* send, transmit sandte sent gesandt sent*In the sense of "transmit" or "broadcast" only the weak forms sendete and hat gesendet are used. The weak forms may also be used in the sense of "send."sieden boil sott/siedete boiled gesotten boiledsingen sing sang sang gesungen sungsinken sink sank sank ist gesunken sunksitzen* sit saß sat gesessen sat*Do not confuse sitzen (sit, strong) and (sich) setzen (set, weak)!sollen should, ought to sollte should gesollt* should*With an infinitive, the past participle is sollen: "Ich habe nicht gehen sollen."spalten split spaltete split gespalten/gespaltet splitspeien spew spie spewed gespien spewedspinnen spin spann spun gesponnen spun

sprechen speak sprach spoke gesprochen spokensprießen sprout spross sprouted gesprossen sproutedspringen jump sprang jumped ist gesprungen jumpedstechen stab, sting stach stung gestochen stungstehen stand stand stood gestanden* stood*In some southern German and Austrian dialects, stehen takes sein as a helping verb: "Er ist imEingang gestanden."stehlen steal stahl stole gestohlen stolensteigen climb stieg climbed ist gestiegen climbedsterben die starb died ist gestorben diedstieben fly about stob flew about ist gestoben flown aboutstinken stink stank stank gestunken stunkstoßen push, bump stieß pushed gestoßen pushedstreichen strike, paint strich struck gestrichen struckstreiten argue stritt argued gestritten arguedSee the ablaut groups for learning the various patterns (a-u-a, e-a-o, etc.) of German strong verbs.Ttragen carry, wear trug wore getragen worntreffen meet traf met getroffen mettreiben move, drive trieb drove getrieben* driven*In the sense of "drift" or "float" treiben takes sein as a helping verb: "Das Eis ist den Fluss entlang getrieben."triefen drip triefte/troff dripped getrieft drippedtrinken drink trank drank getrunken drunktrügen be deceptive trog was deceptive getrogen been deceptivetun do tat did getan doneUüberwinden overcome überwand overcame überwunden overcomeVverderben spoil verdarb spoiled verdorben spoiledverdrießen annoy verdross annoyed verdrossen annoyedvergessen forget vergaß forgot vergessen forgottenverlieren lose verlor lost verloren lostverschleißen wear (out) verschliss wore (out) verschlissen worn (out)verzeihen forgive verzieh forgave verziehen forgivenWwachsen* grow wuchs grew ist gewachsen grown*In the sense of "to wax" (skis, etc.), wachsen is weak: (wachste and hat gewachst).waschsen wash wusch washed gewaschsen washedweben weave wob/webte wove gewoben/gewebt wovenweichen* yield wich yielded ist gewichen yielded*In the sense of "to soften" (up), weichen is weak: (weichte and hat geweicht).weisen indicate wies indicated gewiesen indicatedwenden turn wandte* turned gewandt* turned*Also wendete and gewendet (car, hay, etc.).werben recruit warb recruited geworben recruitedwerden become wurde became ist geworden* become*As a helping verb in the passive voice: worden, as in "Ich bin oft gefragt worden." (I have often been asked.)werfen throw warf threw geworfen thrown

wiegen weigh wog/wiegte weighed gewogen/gewiegt weighedwinden twist wand twisted gewunden twistedwissen* know wusste knew gewusst known*The verb wissen is a "mixed" verb, combining elements of strong and weak verbs. For more see our Mixed Verbs page. - For the complete conjugation of wissen in all tenses, see wissen in our conjugation tables.wollen want to wollte wanted to gewollt* wanted to*With an infinitive, the past participle is wollen: "Ich habe nicht gehen wollen."wringen wring wrang wrung gewrungen wrungZzeihen accuse zieh accused geziehen accusedziehen pull zog pulled gezogen pulledzwingen compel zwang compelled gezwungen compelled

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Weak Verbs: Various TensesPrint this page (without ads)

Also see: Reg. Verbs - Present Tense and Reg. Verbs - Past Tenses

1. arbeiten (to work) - regular (weak) verb; -tet endingPresent: Er arbeitet bei SAP. - He works at SAP. (is working)Past/Preterite: Er arbeitete bei SAP. - He worked at SAP. (was working)Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Er hat bei SAP gearbeitet. - He worked at SAP. (has worked)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Er hatte bei SAP gearbeitet. - He had worked at SAP.Future/Futur: Er wird bei SAP arbeiten. - He will work at SAP.

2. spielen (to play) - regular (weak) verbPresent: Sie spielt Karten. - She's playing cards.Past/Preterite: Sie spielte Karten. - She played cards. (was playing)Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Sie hat Karten gespielt. - She played cards. (has played)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Sie hatte Karten gespielt. - She had played cards.Future/Futur: Sie wird Karten spielen. - She will play cards.

3. mitspielen (to play along) - regular (weak) verb - separable prefixPresent: Sie spielt mit. - She's playing along.Past/Preterite: Sie spielte mit. - She played along. (was playing along)Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Sie hat mitgespielt. - She played along. (has played along)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Sie hatte mitgespielt. - She had played along.Future/Futur: Sie wird mitspielen. - She will play along.

Strong Verbs: Various Tenses1. fahren (to drive, travel) - strong, irregular verb; stem-changingPresent: Er fährt nach Berlin. - He's driving/traveling to Berlin.Past/Preterite: Er fuhr nach Berlin. - He went/traveled to Berlin.Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Er ist nach Berlin gefahren. - He went/traveled to Berlin. (has traveled)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Er war nach Berlin gefahren. - He had gone to Berlin.Future/Futur: Er wird nach Berlin fahren. - He will travel to Berlin.2. sprechen (to speak) - strong, irregular verbPresent: Er spricht Deutsch. - He speaks German. (is speaking)

Past/Preterite: Er sprach Deutsch. - He spoke German. (was speaking)Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Er hat Deutsch gesprochen. - He spoke German. (has spoken)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Er hatte Deutsch gesprochen. - He had spoken German.Future/Futur: Er wird Deutsch sprechen. - He will speak German.3. abfahren (to depart) - strong verb - separable prefixPresent: Wir fahren morgen ab. - We leave/depart tomorrow. (are departing)Past/Preterite: Wir fuhren gestern ab. - We left yesterday. (were leaving)Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Wir sind gestern abgefahren. - We left yesterday. (have departed)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Wir waren gestern abgefahren. - We had left yesterday.Future/Futur: Wir werden morgen abfahren. - We will leave/depart tomorrow.

4. besprechen (to discuss) - strong verb - inseparable prefixPresent: Wir besprechen dieses Thema. - We are discussing this topic.Past/Preterite: Wir besprachen das gestern. - We discussed that yesterday. (were discussing)Pres. Perfect/Perfekt: Wir haben das gestern besprochen. - We discussed that yesterday. (have discussed)Past Perfect/Plusquamperfekt: Wir hatten das vorgestern besprochen. - We had discussed that the day before yesterday.Future/Futur: Wir werden das morgen besprechen. - We will discuss that tomorrow.

Special Verb Examples

Past action continuing into the present (present tense):He has been living in Berlin for three years. (and he still is)Er wohnt schon seit drei Jahren in Berlin.

Action ending in the past:He lived (used to live) in Berlin for three years. (but no longer does)Er hat drei Jahre lang in Berlin gewohnt.

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German Regular VerbsPast Tense Verb Conjugations

Introduction

Also see Lesson 18 of German for Beginners (Pres. Perf.)

Also see: Present Tense Conjugations of regular verbs

Regular German verbs follow an easy-to-learn and predictable pattern in both past tenses (simple past, present perfect). Once you learn the pattern for one regular German verb, you know how all German verbs are conjugated in the past. The irregular verbs don't follow the same rules in the past, but since most German verbs are regular, this makes your learning task somewhat simpler.

The chart below shows a sample regular German verb in the simple past tense and the present perfect. All regular German verbs follow the same pattern. We have also included a helpful sample list of common regular verbs in German.

The Basics (Simple Past)Any regular German verb uses the basic -te ending to form the simple past, similar to the -ed past ending in English. The past-tense ending is added to the verb stem exactly as in the present tense. "He played" thus becomes er spielte. To conjugate any regular verb in the simplepast, you simply add the past-tense ending to the stem.

As in the present tense, each "person" (he, you, they, etc.) requires its own ending on the verb. There are four (4) unique endings in the German simple past tense, one less than in the presenttense (because the endings for ich and the third person are identical in the past). The simple past tense endings are: -te (ich, er/sie/es), -test (du), -tet (ihr), and -ten (Sie, wir, sie [pl.]). UnlikeEnglish, the past tense ending is not always the same: I played = ich spielte, we played = wir spielten. Now let's look at all the conjugations of spielen in the simple past tense. (To learn moreabout when to use the simple past versus the present perfect (below), see The Two German Past Tenses.)

AdsHow To Speakwww.howtosimplified.comFree DIY Videos & Articles - Find How To Do Anything Instantly!Tutor Doctor® Language4mytutor.comIn-Home Language Tutors. 1-On-1 Tutoring In Your Own HomeLearn German for Freewww.germanpod101.com/freeYou Can Learn German Easily Here. Over 200,000,000 Lessons Delivered!SPIELEN / TO PLAYSimple Past Tense - ImperfektDeutsch English Sample SentenceSINGULARich spielte I played Ich spielte Basketball.du spieltest you (fam.)played Spieltest du Schach? (chess)er spielte he played Er spielte mit mir. (with me)sie spielte she played Sie spielte Karten. (cards)es spielte it played Es spielte keine Rolle. (It didn't matter.)PLURALwir spielten we played Wir spielten Basketball.ihr spieltet you (guys) played Spieltet ihr Monopoly?sie spielten they played Sie spielten Golf.Sie spielten you played Spielten Sie heute? (Sie, formal "you," is both singular and plural.)More verbs in 20 Most-Used German VerbsQUIZ on the simple past tense.The Two German Past TensesWhen to use whichThe Basics (Present Perfect)All regular German verbs have a basic past participle form based on the third person singular form. The third person form of the verb spielen is (er) spielt. Add the ge- prefix to that and you get the past participle: gespielt. All regular verbs follow this same pattern: gesagt, gemacht, getanzt, etc.

To form the present perfect tense, you take the past participle (gespielt/played) and use it with an auxiliary or helping verb (usually a form of haben, sometimes sein). The present perfect tense gets its name from the fact that you combine the present tense of the auxiliary verb with the participle to form the tense. (The past perfect is similar, using the past tense of the auxiliary verb.) In most cases, the past participle is placed at the end of the sentence: "Wir haben die ganze Nacht getanzt." (We danced all night.)

To say "I have played" (or "I played") in the German present perfect, you say: "Ich habe gespielt." After you study the chart below, you will grasp the idea even better.

SPIELEN / TO PLAYPresent Perfect Tense - PerfektDeutsch English Sample SentenceSINGULARich habe gespielt I playedI have played Ich habe Basketball gespielt.du hast gespielt you (fam.) playedyou have playedHast du Schach gespielt?er hat gespielt he playedhe has played Er hat mit mir gespielt.sie hat gespielt she playedshe has played Sie hat Karten gespielt.es hat gespielt it playedit has played Es hat keine Rolle gespielt. (It didn't matter.)PLURALwir haben gespielt we playedwe have played Wir haben Basketball gespielt.ihr habt gespielt you (guys) playedyou have played Habt ihr Monoploy gespielt?sie haben gespielt they playedthey have played Sie haben Golf gespielt.Sie haben gespielt you playedyou have played Haben Sie heute gespielt?More verbs in 20 Most-Used German VerbsQUIZ on the simple past tense.The Two German Past TensesWhen to use whichNotice in the chart above that the German present perfect tense can be translated into English in two ways, with or without "have." Also be careful to avoid the incorrect use of the German present perfect for English expressions like, "I have lived in Frankfurt for five years (now)." In German that would be expressed in the present tense with seit: "Ich wohne seit fünf Jahren in Frankfurt."

More Regular VerbsNotice the pattern?English Deutsch Simple Past Past Participleanswerantworten antwortete* geantwortet*ask fragen fragte gefragtbuild bauen baute gebautcost kosten kostete* gekostet*

end enden endete* geendet*hear hören hörte gehörtsay sagen sagte gesagt*A regular verb whose stem ends in -d or -t adds a connecting e before the -te (past) or -t (past participle) ending.

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The Present Perfect Tense in English:

The present perfect tense describes a past event that has present tense implications (compare the simple past "I cooked twice this week" with the present perfect: "I have cooked twice this week" - the former implies that that's all the cooking I'm going to do, while the latter suggests that I might cook more).

English forms this tense with a combination of the auxiliary verb "to have" and a past participle: "I have noticed that," "She has gone there twice," etc. The name "present perfect" reflects the fact that the auxiliary verb, "to have," is conjugated in its present-tense forms.

Some verbs long ago used "to be" as the auxiliary, and we find vestiges of this structure in biblical English or old nursery rhymes:

The Lord is risen.For He is come.Elsie Marley is grown so fine, she won't get up to feed the swine, but lies in bed till eight or nine.

Weak and strong verbs form past participles differently.

Weak verbs add "-ed": "looked," "wanted," "worked," etc.Strong, or irregular, verbs generally (but not always) change the vowel in the stressed syllable and typically (but not always) add "-n" or "-en": "risen," "written," "eaten," "sung," "slept," "brought," etc.Using the Present Perfect Tense (das Perfekt) in German:

In German, as in English, the present perfect differs from the simple past, in that it describes past events that have present implications. German speakers are not always careful in making this distinction, however. Indeed, they sometimes even mix the two tenses indiscriminately.

Even more important: in colloquial conversation, Germans use the present perfect almost exclusively. Indeed, many dialects do not even have a simple past, which is thus mostly reserved for written narrations. Colloquial accounts are in the present perfect: "Ich bin nach Hause gegangen und habe meinem Mann gesagt...." There are a few exceptions, such as the verb "sein" and the modal auxiliaries. It is quite common to use the less complex "ich war da" instead or "ich bin da gewesen" or "sie konnte ihn sehen" rather than "sie hat ihn sehen können." Even in ordinary speech it is more usual to say "ich musste einen Arzt rufen lassen" than "ich habe einen Arzt rufen lassen müssen." "Er hatte einen Hund" is also possible in place of "Er hat einen Hunde gehabt."

Forming the Present Perfect Tense in German:

Weak verbs typically form the past participle by adding the prefix "ge-" and a suffix of "-t" or "-et"to the stem:

Ich habe das gesagt. I said that.Sie hat gut gespielt. She played well.Wir haben schwer gearbeitet.We worked hard.Ich habe nichts gehört. I didn't hear anything.

If the verb has a separable prefix, the "ge" becomes an infix; it is placed between the prefix and the stem:

Wir haben die Tür zugemacht. We closed the door.Ich habe eingekauft. I went shopping.

If the verb ends in -ieren, there is no ge- added:

Das hat gut funktioniert. That worked well.Sie hat Physik studiert. She studied physics.Hast du auch die Küche renoviert? Did you renovate the kitchen, too?

If the verb has an inseparable prefix, that replaces the "ge":

Was hast du ihnen erzählt? What did you tell them?Habt ihr viel Geld dafür bezahlt? Did y'all pay a lot of money for that?Der Wagen hat mir gehört. The car belonged to me.

Strong verbs:

The "irregular strong verbs," including the modal auxiliaries when they are not associated with another verb in the infinitive, add the suffix "-t" or "-et" to a (usually) changed stem:

Ich habe das nicht gewollt. I didn't want that.Als Kind habe ich gut Chinesisch gekonnt. As a child I could speak Chinese well.Sie hat das nicht gewusst. She didn't know that.Was hast du mir gebracht? What did you bring me?

The remaining strong verbs add "-en" to a stem that may or may not be changed.

Ich habe meinen Hut gefunden. I found my hat.Du hast zu schnell gesprochen. You spoke too fast.Haben Sie gut geschlafen? Did you sleep well?Sie hat mein Buch nicht gelesen. She didn't read my book.

These strong verbs fall into distinct categories. Here is a list of the most common strong verbs, arranged in those groups.

The rules about the prefix "ge-" remain the same:

Was hast du mitgebracht? What did you bring along?Das Konzert hat schon begonnen. The concert has already begun.Sie hat schon alles aufgegessen. She has already eaten up everything.Die Kinder haben den ganzen Tag ferngesehen. The children watched TV all day.Wir haben etwas anderes vorgehabt.We planned to do something else.

The Auxiliary Verb: Most verbs, as in the examples above, take "haben," but some require "sein":

Wann bist du nach Hause gekommen? When did you come home?Wir sind ins Kino gegangen. We went to the movies.Seid ihr geflogen oder gefahren? Did y'all fly or drive?Er ist alt geworden. He's gotten old.Sie sind in der Stadt geblieben. They stayed in the city.Die Musik ist sehr laut gewesen. The music was very loud.

New Mercedes-Benz M-Class Rolls Off Assembly Line The new Mercedes-Benz M-Class rolled off the assembly line today in Tuscaloosa Alabama (USA). M-Class: New SUV perspectives for Daimler The verbs that take "sein" are mostly predictable on the basis of their meaning. They must satisfy two conditions: 1) they must be intransitive; 2) they must indicate a change of position or of condition. In the example "Wir sind nach Hause gegangen," the verb "gehen" 1) takes no direct object and 2) describes motion from one place to another. The same is true with:

Sie ist spät aufgestanden. She got up late.Er ist gestern angekommen. He arrived yesterday.Ich bin langsam gelaufen. I ran (or walked) slowly.

Examples of a change of condition:

Ihr Ring ist schon grün geworden. Her ring has already turned green.Er ist gestern gestorben. He died yesterday.Die Pflanze ist schnell gewachsen. The plant grew fast.Ich bin sofort eingeschlafen. I fell asleep immediately.

Some Other Wrinkles:

1) There are two obvious exceptions to these rules: "bleiben" and "sein". While they are intransitive (or, from another point of view, take the nominative case), they clearly do not show achange of position or condition. In fact, they specifically mean not to make such a change. Nevertheless, they take "sein." "Folgen" might also be a surprise, unless we consider its use of the dative.Er ist zu Hause geblieben. He stayed home.Er ist ein Junge geblieben. He remained a boy.Es ist immer so gewesen. It was always that way.Der Mann ist mir nach Hause gefolgt. The man followed me home.

2) With some verbs, the context determines whether or not they take "sein." "Fahren," for example has two meanings: a) to drive in the sense of riding in a vehicle ("Wir sind nach Berlin gefahren") and b) to operate a vehicle ("Ich habe deinen Wagen gefahren"). In the second case,"haben" is called for because "fahren" is transitive. Other examples:Wir sind nach Madrid geflogen. We flew to Madrid.Der Pilot hat das Flugzeug allein geflogen. The pilot flew the plane alone.Wir sind um zwei gelandet. We landed at two.Der Pilot hat das Flugzeug um zwei gelandet. The pilot landed the plane at two.

3) With a verb like "fahren," those two meanings are sufficiently distinct. In some other instances, a certain amount of good will is called for. "Gehen," for example, can actually, though rarely, take an object, but one still says, "Er ist seinen eigenen Weg gegangen" ("He went his own way"). And one normally says, "Ich bin einen Marathon gelaufen" - although some Germans would differ and insist on "haben."

Ran Holding His Brother's Hand The recreational athlete Thomas Steinbrenner from Heidelberg ran the Berlin Marathon today holding his brother's hand. It was his fourth marathon in Berlin. 4) The movement implied in "tanzen" is not sufficient for "sein." Hence: "Ich habe nur mit ihm getanzt." - Although: "Ich bin mit ihm ins nächste Zimmer getanzt" ("I danced with him into the next room" [think tango]). "Schwimmen," in contrast, most often takes "sein," even if it's just doing laps: "Ich bin heute nur kurz geschwommen" ("I swam today just for a short time").

5) "Stehen" and "sitzen" obviously do not meet the criterion of motion, but Southern Germans, to the horror of Northerners, typically say "Ich bin gestanden" or "Ich bin gesessen." Foreigners who use this construction get their knuckles rapped.Double Infinitives:

The modal auxiliaries behave differently when paired with an infinitive. The present perfect form of "Ich kann Deutsch" is "Ich habe Deutsch gekonnt." But "Ich kann Deutsch sprechen" becomes "Ich habe Deutsch sprechen können." Other examples:Ich habe das nicht wissen können. I couldn't know that.Sie hat das nicht machen müssen. She didn't have to do that.Wir haben ihm nicht schreiben dürfen. We weren't allowed to write to him.

The same is true of verbs of perception that take an infinitive without "zu." "Sie hört ihn singen" becomes "Sie hat ihn singen hören." Other examples:Ich habe sie schwimmen sehen. I saw her swimming.also possible: Ich habe sie schwimmen gesehen.Hast du ihn kommen hören? Did you hear him coming?also possible: Hast du ihn kommen gehört?

Two other verbs, lassen and helfen, also form double infinitivesWir haben ein Haus bauen lassen. We had a house built.Ich habe ihr kochen helfen. I helped her cookalso possible: Ich habe ihr kochen geholfen.

In these cases, the double infinitive remains in the final position in dependent clauses, and the "haben" slips into the second-the-last place:

Bist du sicher, dass sie das Buch hat lesen können?Are you sure that she was able to read the book?Wir sind nach Hause gegangen, weil wir keine Karten haben kaufen können.We went home because we couldn't buy any tickets.Es ist schade, dass du ihn nie hast singen hören.It's too bad that you've never heard him sing.

In the above examples, the modal was put into a perfect tense. As in English, the modal can have a different meaning when combined with another verb that is in the past. Note the following distinctions (See also special meanings of the modal auxiliaries):Sie hat das sagen dürfen. She was allowed to say that.Sie darf das gesagt haben. She may have said that.Er hat mir einen Brief schreiben können. He was able to write me a letter.Er kann mir einen Brief geschrieben haben. He may have written me a letter.Sie haben mich nach Hause tragen müssen. They had to carry me home.Sie müssen mich nach Hause getragen haben. They must have carried me home.Ihr habt mir helfen sollen. You were supposed to help me.Ihr sollt mir geholfen haben. You are supposed to have helped me.Er hat es finden wollen. He wanted to find it.Er will es gefunden haben. He claims to have found it.

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