German Stem-Changing Verbs (fahren → du fährst)
After this lesson you can handle the common verbs that change their vowel with du and er/sie/es.
Do this first: Present tense
Übungen
Eight exercises on what you just watched. Get 80% and the lesson is marked done and added to your A1 progress.
1 / 8 · Type the missing word
2 / 8 · Type the missing word
3 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
I am going to Berlin.
4 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
You are driving too fast.
5 / 8 · Choose
Which forms change the vowel?
6 / 8 · Choose
fahren follows which pattern?
7 / 8 · Choose
sprechen follows which pattern?
8 / 8 · Choose
lesen follows which pattern?
In short
Some common German verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms only: fahren → du fährst, er fährt; sprechen → du sprichst, er spricht. The endings stay exactly the same as any regular verb — just the vowel moves.
How it works
A small group of high-frequency verbs shifts its stem vowel, and because they are the verbs you use constantly — fahren, sprechen, essen, nehmen, sehen, lesen, schlafen — you meet them long before you meet the rule.
The change is beautifully contained. It happens only in the du and er/sie/es forms. Everywhere else — ich, wir, ihr, sie/Sie — the verb is completely regular. So ich fahre, du fährst, er fährt, wir fahren, ihr fahrt, sie fahren: two changed forms, four untouched.
There are three patterns. a → ä (fahren → fährt, schlafen → schläft), e → i (sprechen → spricht, essen → isst) and e → ie (sehen → sieht, lesen → liest). Which verb takes which has to be learned with the word, but the position never varies — always du and er/sie/es, never anywhere else. Nehmen is the one to watch: it changes its consonants too, giving du nimmst, er nimmt.
| Person | Form | Changed? |
|---|---|---|
| ich | fahre | no |
| du | fährst | ← yes |
| er / sie / es | fährt | ← yes |
| wir | fahren | no |
| ihr | fahrt | no |
| sie / Sie | fahren | no |
| Change | Infinitive | du | er / sie / es |
|---|---|---|---|
| a → ä | fahren | fährst | fährt |
| a → ä | schlafen | schläfst | schläft |
| a → ä | tragen | trägst | trägt |
| e → i | sprechen | sprichst | spricht |
| e → i | essen | isst | isst |
| e → i | geben | gibst | gibt |
| e → i | nehmen | nimmst | nimmt |
| e → ie | sehen | siehst | sieht |
| e → ie | lesen | liest | liest |
| e → ie | empfehlen | empfiehlst | empfiehlt |
Examples
- Ich fahre nach Berlin.I am going to Berlin.
- Du fährst zu schnell.You are driving too fast.
- Er fährt mit dem Zug.He is going by train.
- Sprichst du Deutsch?Do you speak German?
- Sie spricht sehr gut Englisch.She speaks English very well.
- Was isst du zum Frühstück?What do you eat for breakfast?
- Er liest die Zeitung.He is reading the newspaper.
- Siehst du das?Do you see that?
- Ich nehme den Bus. Du nimmst das Fahrrad.I'll take the bus. You take the bike.
- Sie schläft noch.She is still asleep.
Mistakes to avoid
✗ du fahrst
✓ du fährst
The vowel change is not optional. fahren is a → ä in the du and er forms.
✗ wir fährt / ihr sprecht → ihr sprichst
✓ wir fahren / ihr sprecht
Only du and er/sie/es change. wir, ihr, ich and sie stay completely regular — extending the change is a common over-correction.
✗ du nehmst
✓ du nimmst
Nehmen changes more than its vowel — the h goes and the m doubles. du nimmst, er nimmt.
✗ du esst
✓ du isst
essen becomes isst for both du and er/sie/es. ihr esst is the regular one.
Wortschatz
The words from this lesson.
| fahren | to drive, to go (by vehicle) | |
| sprechen | to speak | |
| essen | to eat | |
| nehmen | to take | |
| sehen | to see | |
| lesen | to read | |
| schlafen | to sleep | |
| geben | to give | |
| tragen | to carry, to wear | |
| die Zeitung | newspaper |
Kulturnotiz
German distinguishes two verbs where English uses "go": gehen is on foot, fahren is by any vehicle — car, train, bike, bus. Ich gehe nach Berlin would mean you are walking there. Ich fahre nach Berlin is what you mean. The same split runs through the language: fliegen for flying, laufen for running.
Common questions
+Which forms change?
Only du and er/sie/es. ich, wir, ihr and sie/Sie are completely regular. If you remember nothing else, remember the change is confined to those two.
+How do I know which verbs change?
You learn it with the verb — dictionaries mark it, usually by listing the du and er forms. The good news is that the group is small and consists of the verbs you use most, so exposure teaches them quickly.
+Why is nehmen so irregular?
It changes vowel and consonants: nehmen → du nimmst, er nimmt. It is the messiest of the group and worth memorising as its own case.
+What is the difference between gehen and fahren?
Gehen is on foot; fahren is by vehicle. Ich fahre nach Berlin (by train or car) versus Ich gehe zum Supermarkt (walking). Using gehen for a journey implies you are walking it.