Top 100 Essential German Irregular Verbs with Audio Pronunciations
This tutorial focuses on the 100 most commonly used German irregular verbs that language learners frequently encounter in everyday conversations. These verbs have been carefully selected for their simplicity and ease of memorization.
German is rich with irregular verbs, which often present challenges for English speakers striving for fluency. A solid understanding of these 100 essential verbs and their meanings is key to mastering the German language and appreciating its cultural nuances.
Mastering German irregular verbs can be challenging, even for native speakers. To simplify your language-learning journey, we’ve curated a list of the 100 most common irregular verbs in German, complete with meanings and pronunciation support.
Below is a curated list of the 100 most frequently used German irregular verbs, specifically designed for learners of German as a second language. To aid in your learning, you can also listen to the correct pronunciation of each verb by clicking the provided pronunciation buttons.
| Verben | Verbs |
|---|---|
| sein | to be |
| haben | to have |
| werden | to become, get |
| können | to be able to, can |
| müssen | to have, must |
| kommen | to come |
| sollen | schould, ought to |
| wollen | to want |
| gehen | to go |
| wissen | to know |
| sehen | to see |
| lassen | to let, allow |
| stehen | to stand |
| finden | to find |
| bleiben | to stay, remain |
| liegen | to lie |
| heißen | to be called |
| denken | to think |
| nehmen | to take |
| tun | to do |
| dürfen | to be allowed, may |
| halten | to stop, hold |
| nennen | to name, call |
| mögen | to like |
| sprechen | to speak |
| bringen | to bring, take |
| fahren | to drive, ride, go |
| gelten | to be valid |
| bestehen | to exist, insist |
| verstehen | to understand |
| setzen | to set, place, put |
| bekommen | to get, receive |
| beginnen | to begin |
| schreiben | to wirte |
| laufen | to run |
| entsprechen | to correspond |
| sitzen | to sit |
| ziehen | to pull, move |
| scheinen | to shine, seem, appear |
| fallen | to fall |
| entstehen | to originate, develop |
| erhalten | to receive |
| treffen | to meet |
| tragen | to carry, wear |
| schaffen | to manage, create |
| lesen | to read |
| verlieren | to lose |
| erkennen | to recognize, admit |
| aussehen | to appear, look |
| erscheinen | to appear |
| anfangen | to begin |
| betreffen | to affect, concern |
| vergehen | to pass (time) |
| helfen | to help |
| gewinnen | to win, gain |
| schließen | to close |
| bieten | to offer |
| ergeben | to result in |
| anbieten | to offer |
| verbinden | to connect, link |
| ansehen | to look at, watch |
| vergleichen | to compare |
| steigen | to climb, increase |
| verlassen | to leave |
| wachsen | to grow |
| ausgehen | to go out, assume |
| geschehen | to happen, occur |
| beschreiben | to describe |
| annehmen | to accept, assume |
| befinden sich | to be |
| aufnehmen | to record, include |
| zunehmen | to increase |
| gefallen | to please |
| schlagen | to hit, beat |
| treten | to step |
| übernehmen | to take over |
| verwenden | to use |
| enthalten | to contain |
| entscheiden | to decide |
| gelingen | to succeed |
| erfahren | to experience |
| vergessen | forget |
| statfinden | occur |
| verschwinden | to diseppear |
| trinken | to drink |
| auftreten | to appear, occur |
| verhalten (sich) | to behave, react |
| essen | to eat |
| sterben | to die |
| unterscheiden | to distinguish |
| werfen | to throw |
| vorliegen | exist |
| hängen | should, ought to |
| bitten | to request |
| ankommen | to arrive |
| beziehen | to refer, put, get |
| vorkommen | to happen, seem |
| besitzen | to own, have |
| schlafen | to sleep |
| eingehen | to deal with, give attention |
You can also look at the “Most common verbs in German“