Lernen in the Present (Präsens) Tense in German
Introduction
Lernen means “to learn”, and this page covers exactly one thing: lernen in the present tense. The present is the tense German speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for lernen, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about lernen in the present. For example: “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “I learn German every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of lernen exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Lernen in the Present (Präsens) Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | lerne |
| du | lernst |
| er/sie/es | lernt |
| wir | lernen |
| ihr | lernt |
| sie/Sie | lernen |
Present participle: lernend · Past participle: gelernt
The present participle is lernend, which you use as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle is gelernt, which you use with haben in the perfect tenses: the ich form of the Perfekt is habe gelernt, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how lernen is used.
How the present of lernen is formed
The present of lernen follows the regular weak pattern: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich lerne, du lernst, er/sie/es lernt, wir lernen, ihr lernt, sie/Sie lernen. The wir and ihr forms are the ones learners most often get wrong, because they expect a change that is not there — learn the six forms as two groups, the singular forms and the plural forms, and the pattern becomes automatic. The stem never changes in the present for this verb, so the only work is the endings.
The present stem also feeds other tenses: the preterite and Konjunktiv II are built from the same stem family, so learning the present properly makes the rest of the conjugation easier. The participles lernend and gelernt belong to the same family of forms — learn them together with the present table and you will recognise lernen in every tense.
When to use the present of lernen
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use lernen in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. To learn German every day — the everyday use
The most everyday use of lernen is German every day. It covers the ordinary, everyday situations where this verb appears, at home and outside. Example: “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “I learn German every day.”
2. To learn a lot at school — a second everyday use
Lernen also covers a lot at school. This use is very common in everyday speech, and it is the one learners meet next after the first. Example: “Du lernst viel in der Schule.” — “You learn a lot at school.”
3. To learn a new song on the piano — a third everyday use
In a third everyday situation, you use lernen for a new song on the piano. The same verb, the same present forms, a different situation — that is why the present is worth learning as a whole table rather than one form at a time. Example: “Er lernt ein neues Lied am Klavier.” — “He learns a new song on the piano.”
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and lernen is no exception. Use time expressions such as jeden Tag, immer or jede Woche to make the routine explicit. Example: “Wir lernen Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “We learn German every day.”
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. German often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with lernen in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Ihr lernt viel in der Schule.” — “You learn a lot at school.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the preterite describes a finished action in the past, while the present describes habits and facts that are true now. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as jeden Tag, while the preterite sentences use gestern. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present (Präsens): “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “I learn German every day.”
Preterite: “Ich lernte Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “I learned German every day.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Du lernst viel in der Schule.” — “You learn a lot at school.”
Preterite: “Du lerntest viel in der Schule.” — “You learned a lot at school.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Wir lernen ein neues Lied am Klavier.” — “We learn a new song on the piano.”
Preterite: “Wir lernten ein neues Lied am Klavier.” — “We learned a new song on the piano.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: lernen in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other words — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Ich lerne viel in der Schule.” — “I learn a lot at school.”
“Du lernst ein neues Lied am Klavier.” — “You learn a new song on the piano.”
“Er lernt Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “He learns German every day.”
“Wir lernen viel in der Schule.” — “We learn a lot at school.”
“Ihr lernt ein neues Lied am Klavier.” — “You learn a new song on the piano.”
“Sie lernen Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “They learn German every day.”
“Ich lerne viel in der Schule.” — “I learn a lot at school.”
“Du lernst ein neues Lied am Klavier.” — “You learn a new song on the piano.”
Common mistakes with lernen in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Ich lernen Deutsch jeden Tag.” Right: “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” Why: The ich form is lerne, not lernen. Lernen belongs with sie. Mixing the two groups is the most common error with this verb.
Wrong: “Wir lernen Deutsch jeden Tag.” Right: “Wir lernen Deutsch jeden Tag.” Why: Wir keeps its own form: lernen, not lernen. Learn wir and ihr as a separate pair from the singular forms.
Wrong: “Ich lernen Deutsch jeden Tag.” (infinitive with a subject) Right: “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” Why: The infinitive lernen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form lerne.
Wrong: “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag gestern.” (a finished past action) Right: “Ich habe Deutsch jeden Tag gelernt.” Why: The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gelernt, not the present lerne.
Quiz: lernen in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
What is the ich form of lernen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) lernt
- B) lernen
- C) lerne
- D) lernst
What is the du form of lernen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) lernst
- B) lerne
- C) lernt
- D) lernen
What is the er/sie/es form of lernen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) lerne
- B) lernst
- C) lernen
- D) lernt
What is the wir form of lernen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) lernen
- B) lerne
- C) lernst
- D) lernt
What is the ihr form of lernen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) lerne
- B) lernst
- C) lernen
- D) lernt
What is the sie/Sie form of lernen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) lernen
- B) lerne
- C) lernst
- D) lernt
7. What does lernen mean in English?
- A) to study
- B) to read
- C) to write
- D) to learn
8. What is the past participle of lernen?
- A) studiert
- B) gelesen
- C) geschrieben
- D) gelernt
Answer key
- C) lerne — The ich form of lernen in the Present (Präsens) is lerne.
- A) lernst — The du form of lernen in the Present (Präsens) is lernst.
- D) lernt — The er/sie/es form of lernen in the Present (Präsens) is lernt.
- A) lernen — The wir form of lernen in the Present (Präsens) is lernen.
- D) lernt — The ihr form of lernen in the Present (Präsens) is lernt.
- A) lernen — The sie/Sie form of lernen in the Present (Präsens) is lernen.
- D) to learn — lernen means “to learn”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
- D) gelernt — The past participle of lernen is gelernt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses, while the present tense itself is formed from the stem plus the present endings.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present of lernen formed?
The present of lernen is regular: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, wir lernen, ihr lernt, sie lernen.
When do I use the present of lernen?
Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now — for example, “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” — “I learn German every day.” For a finished past action, use the Perfekt instead.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of lernen?
The present describes what is true now or happens regularly; the preterite describes one finished action in the past. Compare “Ich lerne Deutsch jeden Tag.” with “Ich lernte Deutsch jeden Tag.” — the first is now, the second is the past as a finished event.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for lernen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of lernen — every tense of lernen in one place.
- Lernen in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Lernen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Studieren conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Lesen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Schreiben conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise lernen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise lernen with the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise lernen with the interactive tool.