Sterben Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German
How do you actually use sterben — “to die” — in a real sentence? This page shows you: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue, the mistakes learners make most often with this verb, and a quiz to test yourself. Every German form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for sterben. Start with the simplest sentence: “Er stirbt im hohen Alter.” — “He dies at a great age.”
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sterben, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Sterben in real sentences
Twelve sentences with sterben, covering the present, the Präteritum, the Perfekt, the Plusquamperfekt, the future, Konjunktiv I and II, and the imperative. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich sterbe im hohen Alter.” — “I die at a great age.”
- “Du stirbst im hohen Alter.” — “You die at a great age.”
- “Er stirbt im hohen Alter.” — “He dies at a great age.”
- “Ich starb im hohen Alter.” — “I died at a great age.”
- “Wir starben im hohen Alter.” — “We died at a great age.”
- “Ich bin im hohen Alter gestorben.” — “I have died at a great age.”
- “Du bist im hohen Alter gestorben.” — “You have died at a great age.”
- “Ich war im hohen Alter gestorben.” — “I had died at a great age.”
- “Wir werden im hohen Alter sterben.” — “We will die at a great age.”
- “Ich werde im hohen Alter gestorben sein.” — “I will have died at a great age.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass ich im hohen Alter sterbe.” — “It is important that I die at a great age.”
- “Ich stürbe im hohen Alter.” — “I would die at a great age if I could.”
- “Ich wäre im hohen Alter gestorben.” — “I would have died at a great age if I had been able to.”
- “Stirb im hohen Alter!” — “Die at a great age!”
A short dialogue with sterben
Anna and Ben talk about their plans. Every form of sterben in the dialogue comes from the verified tables — read it aloud, changing the person each time.
Anna: “Du stirbst im hohen Alter?” — “You die at a great age?”
Ben: “Ich sterbe im hohen Alter.” — “I die at a great age.”
Anna: “Du bist im hohen Alter gestorben?” — “You have died at a great age?”
Ben: “Ich bin im hohen Alter gestorben.” — “I have died at a great age.”
Anna: “Du wirst im hohen Alter sterben?” — “You will die at a great age?”
Ben: “Ich werde im hohen Alter sterben.” — “I will die at a great age.”
Anna: “Stirb im hohen Alter!” — “Die at a great age!”
Ben: “Ich sterbe im hohen Alter.” — “I die at a great age.”
Notice how the verb changes with the person and the tense while the meaning stays the same: sterbe, stirbst, bin gestorben, werde sterben. If you can follow this dialogue without looking at the tables, you know sterben well enough to use it.
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich sterben im hohen Alter.”
✓ Right: “Ich sterbe im hohen Alter.”
The infinitive sterben never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form sterbe.
2. Confusing sterben with leben
✗ Wrong: “Ich leben im hohen Alter.” (using the wrong verb)
✓ Right: “Ich sterbe im hohen Alter.”
sterben means “to die”; leben means “to live”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.
3. Applying the regular pattern to sterben
✗ Wrong: “Ich habe im hohen Alter gesterbt.” (a guessed regular participle)
✓ Right: “Ich bin im hohen Alter gestorben.”
sterben is irregular in present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Its past participle is gestorben, not the regular ge- + stem + -t form.
4. Using the indicative after a Konjunktiv I trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass du im hohen Alter stirbst.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass du im hohen Alter sterbest.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use sterbest here, not the indicative stirbst.
Quiz: test yourself
What is the ich form of sterben in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) sterben
- B) stirbt
- C) stirbst
- D) sterbe
What is the er/sie/es form of sterben in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) sterben
- B) stirbst
- C) sterbe
- D) stirbt
What is the du form of sterben in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) starbst
- B) starben
- C) starbt
- D) starb
What is the wir form of sterben in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) bist gestorben
- B) ist gestorben
- C) sind gestorben
- D) seid gestorben
What is the ich form of sterben in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst sterben
- B) wird sterben
- C) werden sterben
- D) werde sterben
What is the du form of sterben in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) stürben
- B) stürbest
- C) stürbe
- D) stürbet
What is the ich form of sterben in the Conditional perfect?
- A) wären gestorben
- B) wärt gestorben
- C) wärst gestorben
- D) wäre gestorben
What is the past participle of sterben?
- A) sterbend
- B) starb
- C) sterbe
- D) gestorben
What is the present participle of sterben?
- A) sterbend
- B) gestorben
- C) sterbe
- D) werde sterben
What does sterben mean in English?
- A) to come
- B) to die
- C) to do
- D) to live
Answer key
- D) sterbe — the ich form of sterben in the present tense is sterbe.
- D) stirbt — the er/sie/es form of sterben in the present tense is stirbt.
- A) starbst — the du form of sterben in the preterite is starbst.
- C) sind gestorben — the wir form of sterben in the Perfekt is sind gestorben.
- D) werde sterben — the ich form of sterben in the Futur I is werde sterben.
- B) stürbest — the du form of sterben in the Konjunktiv II is stürbest.
- D) wäre gestorben — the ich form of sterben in the conditional perfect is wäre gestorben.
- D) gestorben — the past participle of sterben is gestorben; perfect tenses use sein + gestorben.
- A) sterbend — the present participle of sterben is sterbend.
- B) to die — sterben means “to die” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does sterben mean in English?
sterben means “to die”. The examples above show it in everyday situations — for example, “Er stirbt im hohen Alter.” (“He dies at a great age.”).
Is sterben regular or irregular?
sterben is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The full tables are on the conjugation page.
How do I use sterben in the Perfekt?
Use sein + the past participle gestorben: “Ich bin im hohen Alter gestorben.” — “I have died at a great age.” The full Perfekt table is on the sterben in the Perfekt tense page.
Related pages
- sterben conjugation — the full conjugation tables for this verb in every tense.
- sterben in the Perfekt tense — the full table and uses for this verb in one tense.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- Einladen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Treffen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Verb Conjugator — practise sterben with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise sterben with the interactive tool.
- Perfect Tenses Builder — practise the perfect tenses with the interactive tool.
- VerbFlow home — back to the start.