What is Verb Conjugation?

Verb conjugation is the process of changing a verb’s form to match different grammatical categories such as:

Person (who is doing the action – ich, du, etc.)

Number (singular or plural)

Tense (present, past, future)

Mood (statement, command, wish)

This process helps us correctly express who is doing what, and when.

For example, in English:

The verb “to be” becomes:

I am, he is, they were

In German, the verb changes in a similar way:

The verb “sein” (to be) becomes:

ich bin, du bist, sie sind

In Sanskrit, verb conjugation is even more detailed:

The root verb gam (to go) becomes:

gacchati (he/she/it goes)

gacchanti (they go)

Conjugation in Sanskrit also considers gender, tense, and mood more intricately.

Verb Conjugation in German – Present Tense

In German, most verbs in their dictionary form (infinitive) end in -en, such as:

machen – to do, to make

lernen – to learn

spielen – to play

This infinitive is the basic form of the verb. When using it in a sentence, you must conjugate it so it matches the subject.

For regular verbs in the present tense, conjugation is usually straightforward. The endings follow a consistent pattern.

Regular Verb Example: machen (to do / to make)

Below is the conjugation of machen in the Präsens (present tense):

Person	Pronoun	Verb Form	Explanation
1st Person Singular	ich	mache	I do / I am doing
2nd Person Singular	du	machst	you (informal) do
3rd Person Singular	er / sie / es	macht	he / she / it does
1st Person Plural	wir	machen	we do
2nd Person Plural	ihr	macht	you (plural informal) do
3rd Person Plural / Formal	sie / Sie	machen	they do / you (formal) do

Tips:

• The stem is mach- (infinitive without -en).
• The endings are added to this stem.
• The wir, sie, and Sie forms all use -en, the same as the infinitive.

Why Conjugation Matters

Conjugation ensures:

• The verb agrees with the subject.
• The tense and meaning are clear.
• Sentences are grammatically correct and understandable.

Without proper conjugation, meaning can become unclear or incorrect.

Cross-Language Insights (English – German – Sanskrit)

Language	Verb: to go	1st Person	3rd Person Singular	3rd Person Plural
English	go / goes / went	I go	he goes	they go
German	gehen	ich gehe	er geht	sie gehen
Sanskrit	gam (गम्)	gachchhāmi	gacchati	gacchanti

This shows that conjugation exists in all languages, but the complexity and form vary.

Summary for A1 Learners

• Always conjugate verbs in a sentence – the infinitive form is not used directly.
• Regular verbs follow simple and predictable
• Focus first on the present tense and personal pronouns.
• Start with common regular verbs like machen, spielen, lernen, arbeiten.