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Learning verb conjugations is an essential part of language learning. Some verbs are more used in daily conversations than others. The word “Sprechen” in German is such a word. It is important to know various forms of German Sprechen Conjugation that occur in various tenses and moods. Let us look at various forms of German Sprechen Conjugation that are essential for having smooth conversations in the German language.
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German Sprechen Conjugation: Introduction
Learning the German Sprechen Conjugation is crucial for German language learners as it provides a means of communicating and speaking the language fluently. With its ability to switch between tenses, from “ich spreche” in the present to “ich sprach” in the simple past, this verb helps users express ideas clearly. To improve your German conversational abilities and make your language learning experience more fulfilling, delve deeper into the subtleties of the German Sprechen Conjugation.
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Understanding “Sprechen”
1: How do you say "Good Morning" in German?
The German verb “sprechen” means “to speak” in English. The verb sprechen (speak, talk) has an irregular conjugation. The three basic forms are sprach, spricht, and hat gesprochen. E, a, and o are the stem vowels. haben is the auxiliary verb for sprechen. The use is Main, and the flection is in Active. The meaning of the word “sprechen” can vary according to the context. Some of the meanings are mentioned below.
- Speak
- speak (about)
- Talk
- speak (to)
- act as spokesman (for)
- speak about
- argue (against)
- converse (with)
- communicate
- converse (on/about)
- militate (for/against)
- discuss
- refer (to)
- speak (of)
- speak (for)
- speak (with)
- speak on behalf of
- speak in favour (of)
- speak volumes
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Conjugation of “Sprechen” in Indicative Forms
The conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative forms is listed below.
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Present Tense
German conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative form present tense is provided here.
- Ich sprech(e)
- Du sprichst
- Er spricht
- Wir sprechen
- Ihr sprecht
- Sie sprechen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Simple Past Tense (Präteritum)
German conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative form simple past tense is provided here.
- Ich sprach
- Du sprachst
- Er sprach
- Wir sprachen
- Ihr spracht
- Sie sprachen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Perfect Tense
German conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative form perfect tense is provided here.
- ich habe gesprochen
- du hast gesprochen
- er hat gesprochen
- wir haben gesprochen
- ihr habt gesprochen
- sie haben gesprochen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Pluperfect Tense
German conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative form pluperfect tense is provided here.
- ich hatte gesprochen
- du hattest gesprochen
- er hatte gesprochen
- wir hatten gesprochen
- ihr hattet gesprochen
- sie hatten gesprochen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Future Tense
German conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative form future tense is provided here.
- ich werde sprechen
- du wirst sprechen
- er wird sprechen
- wir werden sprechen
- ihr werdet sprechen
- sie werden sprechen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Future Perfect Tense
German conjugation of “sprechen” in indicative form future perfect tense is provided here.
- ich werde gesprochen haben
- du wirst gesprochen haben
- er wird gesprochen haben
- wir werden gesprochen haben
- ihr werdet gesprochen haben
- sie werden gesprochen haben
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Conditional Tense (Konjunktiv II)
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in the conditional tense (Konjunktiv II) are as given below.
| Tenses | Conjugation |
| Imperfect (simple past) | · ich würde sprechen
· du würdest sprechen · er würde sprechen · wir würden sprechen · ihr würdet sprechen · sie würden sprechen |
| Pluperfect | · ich würde gesprochen haben
· du würdest gesprochen haben · er würde gesprochen haben · wir würden gesprochen haben · ihr würdet gesprochen haben · sie würden gesprochen haben |
Subjunctive Mood (Konjunktiv I) with “Sprechen”
It is important to learn the subjunctive forms of a verb’s conjugations even though they may not be as widely used as indicative forms.
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Present Tense
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in present tense in subjunctive mood are shown below.
- ich spreche
- du sprechest
- er spreche
- wir sprechen
- ihr sprechet
- sie sprechen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Simple Past Tense
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in simple past tense in subjunctive mood are shown below.
- ich spräche
- du sprächest
- er spräche
- wir sprächen
- ihr sprächet
- sie sprächen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Perfect Tense
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in perfect tense in subjunctive mood are shown below.
- ich habe gesprochen
- du habest gesprochen
- er habe gesprochen
- wir haben gesprochen
- ihr habet gesprochen
- sie haben gesprochen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Pluperfect Tense
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in pluperfect tense in subjunctive mood are shown below.
- ich hätte gesprochen
- du hättest gesprochen
- er hätte gesprochen
- wir hätten gesprochen
- ihr hättet gesprochen
- sie hätten gesprochen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Future Tense
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in future tense in subjunctive mood are shown below.
- ich werde sprechen
- du werdest sprechen
- er werde sprechen
- wir werden sprechen
- ihr werdet sprechen
- sie werden sprechen
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Future Perfect Tense
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in future tense in subjunctive mood are shown below.
- ich werde gesprochen haben
- du werdest gesprochen haben
- er werde gesprochen haben
- wir werden gesprochen haben
- ihr werdet gesprochen haben
- sie werden gesprochen haben
Conjugation of “Sprechen” in the Imperative, Infinitive and Participle Forms
German conjugation of “Sprechen” in imperative, infinitive and participle forms are shown below.
| Form | Conjugated Verb |
| Imperative (Present) | · sprich (du)
· sprechen wir · sprecht (ihr) · sprechen Sie |
| Infinitive I | · sprechen
· zu sprechen |
| Infinitive II | · gesprochen haben
· gesprochen zu haben |
| Participle I | · sprechend |
| Participle II | · gesprochen |
Using “Sprechen” with Modal Verbs
Auxiliary (helping) verbs that join another main verb in a sentence or clause are known as modal verbs. Their meaning reveals the speaker’s perspective or emotions about the verb’s action. Some of the modal verbs and their meanings are given in the table below.
| Word | Meaning |
| können | can, to be able to |
| dürfen | may, to be allowed to |
| müssen | must, to have to |
| mögen | to like (to) |
| wollen | to want (to) |
| sollen | should, to be supposed to |
| möchten | would like to |
These model verbs also have conjugations. They are listed below.
| Infinitive | mögen | können | müssen | dürfen | sollen | wollen | möchten |
| ich | mag | kann | muss | darf | soll | will | möchte |
| du | magst | kannst | musst | darfst | sollst | willst | möchtest |
| er/sie/es | mag | kann | muss | darf | soll | will | möchte |
| wir | mögen | können | müssen | dürfen | sollen | wollen | möchten |
| ihr | mögt | könnt | müsst | dürft | sollt | wollt | möchtet |
| sie/Sie | mögen | können | müssen | dürfen | sollen | wollen | möchten |
How to Conjugate When Modal Verb is Used?
The main verb appears at the very end of the sentence as an infinitive (an unconjugated verb ending in -en) when a modal verb is used. The infinitive may occasionally be omitted, but only in situations where it is obvious from the context. How does conjugation occur when modal verbs are used along with main verbs? Follow the steps below.
- Conjugate the modal verb. (make use of the table above)
- Don’t conjugate the main verb. (keep in infinitive form)
- In statements, place the modal verb after the subject.
- Place the primary verb at the sentence’s very end.
- However, separable verbs AREN’T split in sentences with modal verbs; instead, they stay as a single unit and appear at the very end of the sentence.
Let us see some examples of sentences when various forms of “sprechen” are used. Take note of the word order in the example that follows.
| English | German |
| I know that you can speak German. | Ich weiß, dass du Deutsch sprechen kannst. |
| I can speak German. | Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. |
| They are not allowed to speak loudly in the library. | Sie dürfen in der Bibliothek nicht laut sprechen. |
| I can speak. | Ich kann sprechen. |
| You can speak. | Du kannst sprechen. |
| He/She/It can speak. | Er/Sie/Es kann sprechen. |
| We can speak. | Wir können sprechen. |
| You can speak. | Ihr könnt sprechen. |
| They can speak. | Sie können sprechen. |
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Replacement forms of Modal Verbs
Sometimes replacement forms of modal verbs are used in sentences. Like modal verbs in any other language, German modal verbs can occasionally be changed to express similar ideas. These “Ersatzformen” or “replacement forms” are helpful in many situations, particularly when we want to give our writing and speech more subtlety or diversity. Look at the following examples.
| English | German |
| She is capable of speaking several languages fluently. | Sie ist in der Lage, mehrere Sprachen fließend zu sprechen. |
| It is appropriate not to talk while eating. | Es ist angebracht, beim Essen nicht zu sprechen. |
Regional and Contextual Variations in Using “Sprechen”
Generally speaking, German is spoken in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and other German-speaking countries. Even though some terms and pronunciations vary by region, the word “sprechen” itself is largely consistent throughout these regions. There is also little regional variation in the formal and informal ways of speaking.
Speaking of contextual variations, let us look at the formal and informal ways of saying “sprechen”.
| Fromal | Informal |
| Sprechen Sie | Sprichst du |
| Können Sie sprechen | Kannst du sprechen |
| Ich möchte mit Ihnen sprechen | Ich möchte mit dir sprechen |
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Common Expressions & Idiomatic Phrases with “Sprechen”
Some commonly used expressions and idiomatic phrases with “Sprechen” are listed below.
| English meaning | German expression |
| to decide a matter or to exercise one’s authority | ein Machtwort sprechen |
| speak of the devil | wenn man vom Teufel spricht |
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German Sprechen Conjugation: Conclusion
There is more to learning the verb sprechen’s conjugation than merely practising grammar. It is a crucial ability that establishes the groundwork for proficient German communication. Accurately conjugating sprechen is essential for improving speaking abilities. The efficiency and clarity of communication can be greatly impacted by the quick and accurate use of verb conjugations when speaking German.
Achieving fluency in German requires correctly conjugating the verb sprechen. This calls for both an understanding of verb forms and the ability to use them creatively in speech. The above blog covers a lot of information about how to use German Sprechen Conjugation forms in various tenses and how they can help you become more fluent in German. Read and memorise the tables and try including the information given in them more in your daily conversations. Refer to the blog if you have any doubts or confusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can "sprechen" be used to create the subjunctive mood in hypothetical situations?
The Konjunktiv II form, which is usually “spräche” for singular (ich spräche, du sprächest, er/sie/es spräche) and “sprächen” for plural (wir/sie/Sie sprächen, ihr sprächet), is where the subjunctive mood for hypothetical situations involving “sprechen” is formed. This conveys imaginary or fanciful scenarios.
How is the German word "sprechen" formed in the future tense?
In German, the future tense of “sprechen” is formed by combining the infinitive “sprechen” with the conjugated auxiliary verb “werden.” “Ich werde sprechen,” for example, means “I will speak.”
How is "sprechen" conjugated in the past tense?
“sprach” is conjugated as “sprachen” for the plural forms (wir sprachen, ihr spracht, sie/Sie sprachen) and “sprach” for the singular forms (ich sprach, du sprachst, er/sie/es sprach) in the past tense.
Which form of "sprechen" is required in formal and informal contexts?
In informal contexts, the imperative forms of “sprechen” are “sprich” for the singular and “sprecht” for the plural. It is’sprechen Sie’ in formal contexts.
What are the various present-tense forms of the verb "sprechen"?
ich spreche (I speak), du sprichst (you speak [singular informal]), er/sie/es spricht (he/she/it speaks), wir sprechen (we speak), ihr sprecht (you speak [plural informal]), and sie/Sie sprechen (they/you [formal] speak) are the various forms of the verb “sprechen” in the present tense.
