Once you know the standard present-tense endings (-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en), two small groups of verbs make you adjust them slightly. Both adjustments exist for exactly one reason: pronounceability. German simply cannot let certain consonant clusters collide, so it either inserts a vowel to break them up or drops a sound that would be doubled. The beautiful consequence is that you never have to memorize these as exceptions — they apply automatically to any stem with the right ending.
Adjustment 1: the linking -e- (stems in -t, -d, or a consonant + -m/-n)
If the verb stem ends in -t or -d — or in certain clusters with -m or -n — adding the ending -st or -t directly would jam two stop-like consonants together that you cannot articulate. Try saying arbeitst or findt out loud: your tongue can't do it cleanly. So German inserts a linking -e- before the ending.
This affects the du, er/sie/es, and ihr forms (the ones whose endings begin with -t or -st). The ich, wir, and sie/Sie forms are unaffected.
arbeiten — to work (stem: arbeit-)
| Pronoun | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich | arbeite | — |
| du | arbeitest | linking -e- |
| er / sie / es | arbeitet | linking -e- |
| wir | arbeiten | — |
| ihr | arbeitet | linking -e- |
| sie / Sie | arbeiten | — |
Du arbeitest viel zu viel — gönn dir mal eine Pause.
You work way too much — give yourself a break for once.
Sie arbeitet seit Januar bei einer Werbeagentur.
She's been working at an ad agency since January.
Wie findest du den neuen Kollegen?
What do you think of the new colleague?
That last example uses finden (stem find-, ends in -d), giving du findest. The same logic governs atmen (stem atm-, the -m after a consonant): du atmest, er atmet.
Atme tief ein — du atmest viel zu flach.
Breathe in deeply — you're breathing far too shallowly.
A common follow-on question: why doesn't the ich form (arbeite) and the wir form (arbeiten) need anything extra? Because their endings (-e, -en) already begin with a vowel, so there is no consonant collision to fix.
Adjustment 2: the disappearing -s (stems in -s, -ß, -z, -x)
The second adjustment is the mirror image of the first. If the stem already ends in an s-sound — -s, -ß, -z, -x — then adding the du ending -st would produce a doubled hiss (heißst, tanzst) that German won't tolerate. So the -s of the ending simply drops, and the du form ends in a plain -t — making it look identical to the er/sie/es form.
heißen — to be called (stem: heiß-)
| Pronoun | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich | heiße | — |
| du | heißt | -s of -st dropped |
| er / sie / es | heißt | same as du |
| wir | heißen | — |
| ihr | heißt | — |
| sie / Sie | heißen | — |
Wie heißt du eigentlich mit Nachnamen?
What's your surname, actually?
Du tanzt wirklich gut — wo hast du das gelernt?
You dance really well — where did you learn that?
The verb tanzen (stem tanz-, ends in -z) behaves the same way: du tanzt, not du tanzst. So do sitzen (du sitzt), reisen (du reist), and lesen — whose ending behaves identically, with an extra wrinkle covered below.
reisen — to travel (stem: reis-)
Reist du dieses Jahr wieder allein, oder kommt jemand mit?
Are you travelling alone again this year, or is someone coming along?
Mein Onkel sitzt jeden Abend stundenlang vor dem Fernseher.
My uncle sits in front of the TV for hours every evening.
Where the two rules meet: strong verbs in -s
A subtle case worth flagging: some strong verbs with a present-tense vowel change also end in an s-sound, and the two effects stack. Take lesen ("to read"). It changes its vowel (e → ie) and its stem ends in -s, so the du form drops the -s of the ending: stem becomes lies-, plus plain -t → du liest.
Liest du das Buch gerade, oder kann ich es mir ausleihen?
Are you reading that book right now, or can I borrow it?
So du liest is correct — not du liesst (with a doubled s). The vowel change comes from the strong-verb pattern; the single final -t comes from this page's rule.
Common Mistakes
❌ Du arbeitst am Samstag.
Incorrect — the linking -e- is required: the cluster -tst can't be pronounced.
✅ Du arbeitest am Samstag.
You work on Saturday.
❌ Er findt das gar nicht lustig.
Incorrect — a -d stem needs the linking -e- before -t.
✅ Er findet das gar nicht lustig.
He doesn't find that funny at all.
❌ Wie heißst du?
Incorrect — the -s of -st drops after a stem ending in -ß; never double the s here.
✅ Wie heißt du?
What's your name?
❌ Du tanzst sehr elegant.
Incorrect — a -z stem drops the -s of -st, giving plain -t.
✅ Du tanzt sehr elegant.
You dance very elegantly.
❌ Du liesst zu schnell.
Incorrect — lesen takes the vowel change AND drops the -s: du liest.
✅ Du liest zu schnell.
You read too fast.
Key Takeaways
- Stems in -t, -d (and clusters with -m/-n) insert a linking -e- before -st and -t: du arbeitest, er findet, ihr atmet.
- Stems in -s, -ß, -z, -x drop the -s of the du-ending, so du ends in plain -t: du heißt, du tanzt, du reist.
- Both adjustments are about pronounceability, not memorized exceptions — they apply automatically to any matching stem.
- A side effect: in -s/-ß/-z verbs the du and er forms look identical, so the pronoun does the disambiguating.
Now practice German
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning German→Related Topics
- Present Tense: Regular (Weak) VerbsA1 — The full present-tense paradigm of regular German verbs, and why one German form does the work of three English ones.
- Present-Tense Endings and Subject AgreementA1 — The German present-tense personal endings (-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en), why the subject pronoun is obligatory, and the predictable linking -e- after t/d-stems.
- Present Tense: Strong Verbs with e to i / ieA2 — How strong verbs change their stem vowel from e to i or ie in the du and er/sie/es forms only.
- ß vs ss: Pronunciation and the sharp sA2 — Why ß and ss both sound like a sharp [s] — and how ß silently tells you the vowel before it is long while ss tells you it is short.
- Final Consonant Devoicing (Auslautverhärtung)A2 — How German devoices b, d, g, s to [p, t, k, s] at the end of a syllable or word without changing the spelling — and why the same morpheme alternates (Tag/Tage).