100 Most Common German Verbs (with example sentences)
If you're learning the German language, mastering the most common German verbs is one of the smartest steps you can take. Verbs are the backbone of every sentence, and knowing the top 100 will give you the tools to express yourself in everyday situations—from saying what you think, to what you need, to how you feel.
In this guide, we've compiled a list of the most frequently used German verbs, complete with English meanings and example sentences to help you learn them in context. Whether you're a beginner or brushing up your skills, these essential verbs will boost your vocabulary and confidence fast.
Top 100 Essential German Verbs
sein - to be
verliebt sein
to be in love
werden - to become, to get, will
Wir werden am Wochenende umziehen.
We will be moving house this weekend.
haben - to have
Kinder haben sehr viel Fantasie.
Children have a lot of imagination.
können - to be able to, to can
Gemeinsam können wir viel erreichen!
Together we can achieve a lot!
sagen - to say, to tell
Kannst du mir sagen, wie spät es ist?
Can you tell me what time it is?
geben - to give, to provide
Könntest du mir bitte das Handy geben?
Could you give me the phone, please?
müssen - to have to, to need to, to must
Wir müssen unsere Erde und die Umwelt schützen!
We have to protect our earth and the environment!
sollen - should, shall, to ought to, to be supposed to
Soll ich dir ein Geheimnis verraten?
Should I tell you a secret?
gehen - to go, to walk, to leave
In welche Richtung muss ich gehen?
In which direction do I have to go?
kommen - to come, to arrive
Heute kommen alle meine Geschwister und deren Kinder zu Besuch.
Today all my siblings and their children are coming to visit.
wollen - to want
Wollen wir uns an diesen Tisch setzen?
Shall we sit down at this table?
machen - to do, to make
Wir machen einen Ausflug mit der ganzen Familie.
We're going on a trip with the whole family.
stehen - to stand, to be
Wie lange kannst du auf einem Bein stehen?
How long can you stand on one leg?
finden - to find, to think, to locate, to discover
suchen ↔ finden
to search ↔ to find
lassen - to let, to allow, to leave
Lass uns woanders hingehen!
Let's go somewhere else!
sehen - to see, to view, to watch
Hallo! Schön, dich zu sehen.
Hello! Good to see you.
bleiben - to stay, to remain
Bleiben Sie auf der rechten Spur und nehmen Sie die nächste Ausfahrt.
Stay in the right lane and take the next exit.
liegen - to lie, to be located, to be situated
Die Jungen liegen im grünen Gras.
The boys are lying in the green grass.
zeigen - to show, to demonstrate, to point, to indicate
Zeigst du mir deine Urlaubsfotos?
Will you show me your holiday photos?
dürfen - to be allowed, may, can
Entschuldigung, Sie dürfen hier nicht rauchen.
Excuse me, you're not allowed to smoke here.
stellen - to put (vertically), to place, to position, to set, to provide
Ich stelle die Bücher ins Regal.
I put the books on the shelf.
🔍 Curious about more German words?
This is just the start — these words are part of a much bigger picture. Dive into vocabeo's full frequency-based dictionary and discover where these words rank among the most-used German vocabulary.
Browse »nehmen - to take, to have, to use
Du kannst dir eine Tasse aus dem Schrank nehmen.
You can take a cup from the cupboard.
bringen - to bring, to take
Heute Nachmittag bringe ich mein Auto zur Reparatur.
I'm taking my car in for repairs this afternoon.
erklären - to explain, to declare
Kannst du mir das erklären?
Can you explain that to me?
spielen - to play, to gamble, to act, to perform
Die Kinder spielen auf der Straße.
The children are playing in the street.
halten - to stop, to hold, to keep, to last
jemanden an der Hand halten
to hold somebody by the hand
führen - to lead, to guide, to conduct, to manage, to wage
einen Krieg führen
to wage a war
wissen - to know
Wissen Sie, wie spät es ist?
Do you know what time it is?
setzen - to set, to place, to put
Setzen Sie das bitte auf meine Rechnung.
Please put this on my bill.
sich setzen - to sit down, to take seat, to settle
Wollen wir uns an diesen Tisch setzen?
Shall we sit down at this table?
bekommen - to get, to receive
erhalten (formell) = bekommen = kriegen (ugs.)
to receive
heißen - to be called, to mean
Entschuldigung, wie heißen Sie?
Excuse me, what's your name?
tun - to do
Es ist besser zu handeln, statt nichts zu tun.
It is better to act than to do nothing.
gehören - to belong to, to be part of
Sind das deine Schuhe? - Nein, die gehören mir nicht.
Are these your shoes? - No, they're not mine.
erhalten - to receive, to get, to obtain, to preserve, to maintain
erhalten (formell) = bekommen = kriegen (ugs.)
to receive
beginnen - to begin, to start, to commence
Viele Märchen beginnen mit „Es war einmal...“.
Many fairy tales begin with "Once upon a time...".
mögen - to like, to want
Viele Kinder mögen kein Gemüse.
Many children do not like vegetables.
sprechen - to speak, to talk
sprechen ↔ schweigen
to speak ↔ to remain silent
gelten - to be valid, to apply, to be effective, to be regarded as, to be considered as
Die Regeln gelten für alle gleich.
The rules apply equally to all.
arbeiten - to work
Ich arbeite jeden Tag acht Stunden.
I work eight hours a day.
brauchen - to need, to require
Um die Vorhänge aufzuhängen, brauchen wir eine hohe Leiter.
To hang the curtains, we need a high ladder.
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Learn »bieten - to offer, to provide, to bid
Den Urlaub im Reisebüro zu buchen spart Zeit und bietet Sicherheit.
Booking your holiday at a travel agency saves time and offers security.
fahren - to drive, to ride, to go
mit dem Fahrrad fahren
to go by bike
schreiben - to write
mit dem Stift schreiben
to write with a pen
leben - to live
Wo leben Sie?
Where do you live?
bestehen - to exist, to insist, to pass, to consist, to persist
In Deutschland besteht eine Postleitzahl aus fünf Ziffern.
In Germany, a postcode consists of five digits.
denken - to think
Erst das Gehirn einschalten, dann denken!
First switch on the brain, then think!
laufen - to run, to go, to walk
Meine Nase läuft. Hast du ein Taschentuch für mich?
My nose is running. Do you have a tissue for me?
sitzen - to sit, to perch
Wir sitzen im Park auf einer Bank und unterhalten uns.
We sit on a bench in the park and talk.
entsprechen - to correspond to, to meet, to comply with
Entspricht die Unterkunft deiner Erwartung?
Does the accommodation meet your expectations?
glauben - to believe, to think
an Gott glauben
to believe in God
nennen - to name, to call
Wir nennen unseren Hund Bello.
We call our dog Bello.
scheinen - to shine, to seem, to appear
Nachts scheint der Mond ins Zimmer.
At night the moon shines into the room.
ziehen - to pull, to drag, to draw, to move
Wegen der hohen Mieten ziehen viele Münchner von der Stadt ins Umland.
Because of the high rents, many Munich residents move from the city to the surrounding area.
treffen - to meet, to make, to hit, to strike
Um welche Uhrzeit treffen wir uns morgen?
What time are we meeting tomorrow?
entstehen - to arise, to originate, to develop, to form, to emerge
Sobald der Lehrer das Klassenzimmer verlässt, entsteht Unruhe.
As soon as the teacher leaves the classroom, unrest arises.
fragen - to ask
fragen ↔ antworten
to ask ↔ to answer
sich fragen - to wonder
Ich frage mich, warum ich das tun sollte. Nenn mir bitte einen Grund!
I wonder why I should do that. Please give me one reason!
fallen - to fall, to drop, to decline
Im Herbst fallen die Blätter von den Bäumen.
In autumn, the leaves fall from the trees.
legen - to lay, to put (horizontally), to place, to set
Legen Sie die Post bitte auf meinen Schreibtisch.
Please put the mail on my desk.
(sich) vorstellen - to introduce, to present, to imagine, to picture, to envisage
Darf ich mich vorstellen? Mein Name ist Markus Meier.
May I introduce myself? My name is Markus Meier.
🇩🇪 More German Awaits
You've seen a glimpse! These words are just the beginning. Explore vocabeo's comprehensive, frequency-ranked dictionary to see where they fit in the most common German vocabulary.
Browse »meinen - to think, to mean, to say
Wenn ein Deutscher ‚ein Pfund‘ sagt, meint er 500 (fünfhundert) Gramm.
When a German says ‘one pound‘, he means 500 (five hundred) grams.
suchen - to search, to look for, to seek
suchen ↔ finden
to search ↔ to find
erreichen - to achieve, to reach, to attain, to accomplish, to gain
Gemeinsam können wir viel erreichen!
Together we can achieve a lot!
handeln - to deal, to trade, to act, to take action
Es ist besser zu handeln, statt nichts zu tun.
It is better to act than to do nothing.
tragen - to carry, to wear
Diese Kiste ist sehr schwer, die kann ich nicht alleine tragen.
The box is very heavy, I can't carry it alone.
lesen - to read
Kannst du lesen was auf dem Schild steht?
Can you read what the sign says?
schaffen - to make, to create, to manage
Kannst du mir helfen, die Kiste zu tragen? Ich schaffe das nicht allein.
Can you help me carry the box? I can't do it alone.
kennen - to know
Kennen Sie diese Gegend? - Nein, ich bin zum ersten Mal hier.
Do you know this area? - No, this is my first time here.
darstellen - to depict, to present, to represent, to portray, to pose
Was soll das Bild darstellen? - Eine glückliche Familie!
What is the picture supposed to represent? - A happy family!
verlieren - to lose
siegen / gewinnen ↔ verlieren
to win ↔ to lose
entwickeln - to develop
Manche Freundschaften entstehen beim ersten Kennenlernen, andere brauchen Jahre, um sich zu entwickeln.
Some friendships are formed when you first meet, others take years to develop.
reden - to talk, to speak
Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold.
Speech is silver, silence is gold.
erkennen - to recognize, to recognise, to see, to identify, to detect
Woran erkennt man, dass jemand lügt?
How can you tell if someone is lying?
erscheinen - to appear, to seem, to be published, to be released, to come out
erscheinen / auftauchen ↔ verschwinden
to appear ↔ to disappear
aussehen - to appear, to look
Diese Pflege lässt gereizte Haut wieder strahlen und frisch aussehen.
This care makes irritated skin look radiant and fresh again.
folgen - to follow
Auf Regen folgt Sonnenschein.
Rain is followed by sunshine. (Every cloud has a silver lining.)
anfangen - to begin, to start
Es kann jeden Moment anfangen zu regnen.
It could start raining at any moment.
versuchen - to try, to attempt
Ich werde versuchen in Zukunft pünktlich zu sein.
I will try to be on time in the future.
bilden - to form, to educate
Liebe, Vertrauen und Respekt bilden die Basis einer guten Beziehung.
Love, trust and respect form the basis of a good relationship.
lernen - to learn, to study
Ich lerne erst seit vier Wochen Deutsch.
I've only been learning German for four weeks.
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Learn »erwarten - to expect, to await, to anticipate
Die Veranstalter des Festivals erwarten in dieser Saison 25.000 (fünfundzwanzigtausend) Besucher.
The organisers of the festival expect 25,000 (twenty-five thousand) visitors this season.
betreffen - to affect, to concern, to relate to
Politische Entscheidungen, die auf nationaler Ebene getroffen werden, betreffen die gesamte Bevölkerung.
Political decisions made at national level affect the entire population.
wohnen - to live, to dwell, to reside
in einer Wohnung wohnen
to live in a flat
warten - to wait, to await, to maintain, to service
Ich warte an der Haltestelle auf den Bus.
I wait for the bus at the bus stop.
verstehen - to understand, to comprehend, to apprehend
Aha, jetzt verstehe ich das.
Aha, now I understand that.
helfen - to help, to aid, to assist
Kann ich dir helfen?
Can I help you?
gewinnen - to win, to gain
siegen / gewinnen ↔ verlieren
to win ↔ to lose
fühlen - to feel, to sense
Ich fühle mich krank, daher bleibe ich heute zu Hause.
I feel sick, so I will stay at home today.
interessieren - to interest
Sollen die Leute doch reden. Es interessiert mich nicht, was sie denken.
Let people talk. I don't care what they think.
sich interessieren - to be interested in
Interessierst du dich für moderne Kunst?
Are you interested in modern art?
erinnern - to remind
Die Form der Wolke erinnert mich an einen Fisch.
The shape of the cloud reminds me of a fish.
sich erinnern - to remember
Ich erinnere mich noch sehr gut an unser erstes Treffen.
I still remember our first meeting very well.
schließen - to close, to shut
öffnen / aufmachen (ugs.) ↔ schließen / zumachen (ugs.)
to open ↔ to close
anbieten - to offer
Kann ich dir eine Tasse Tee anbieten?
Can I offer you a cup of tea?
ergeben - to result in, to show, to give, to produce, to yield
Rot und Blau gemischt ergibt Lila.
Mixing red and blue makes purple.
sich ergeben - to surrender
Bitte nicht schießen. Ich ergebe mich!
Please don't shoot. I surrender!
bedeuten - to mean, to signify
Die Redewendung "Licht ins Dunkel bringen" bedeutet, Klarheit in eine Angelegenheit zu bringen.
The idiom "to bring light into the darkness" means to bring clarity to a matter.
verbinden - to connect, to link, to combine, to join
verbinden ↔ trennen
connect ↔ disconnect
studieren - to study
Ich habe die Chance ein Jahr im Ausland zu studieren.
I have the chance to study abroad for a year.
What’s Next? Keep Building Your German Vocabulary!
Mastering the 100 most common German verbs is a huge step toward fluency — but why stop there? Expand your vocabulary even further with our guides to the 100 most common German nouns and the 100 most common German adjectives. Each list is packed with useful words and example sentences to help you speak and understand German more confidently.
Ready to put these verbs into practice? Visit vocabeo's Learning Area to review, test yourself, and keep making progress every day.