Studieren in the Present (Präsens) Tense in German
Introduction
Studieren means “to study”, and this page covers exactly one thing: studieren 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 studieren, 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 studieren in the present. For example: “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin.” — “I study medicine in Berlin.” Everything on this page uses the forms of studieren exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Studieren in the Present (Präsens) Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | studiere |
| du | studierst |
| er/sie/es | studiert |
| wir | studieren |
| ihr | studiert |
| sie/Sie | studieren |
Present participle: studierend · Past participle: studiert
The present participle is studierend, which you use as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle is studiert, which you use with haben in the perfect tenses: the ich form of the Perfekt is habe studiert, 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 studieren is used.
How the present of studieren is formed
The present of studieren follows the regular weak pattern: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich studiere, du studierst, er/sie/es studiert, wir studieren, ihr studiert, sie/Sie studieren. 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 studierend and studiert belong to the same family of forms — learn them together with the present table and you will recognise studieren in every tense.
When to use the present of studieren
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use studieren in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. To study medicine in Berlin — the everyday use
The most everyday use of studieren is medicine in Berlin. It covers the ordinary, everyday situations where this verb appears, at home and outside. Example: “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin.” — “I study medicine in Berlin.”
2. To study in the library every day — a second everyday use
Studieren also covers in the library every day. This use is very common in everyday speech, and it is the one learners meet next after the first. Example: “Du studierst jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “You study in the library every day.”
3. To study history at university — a third everyday use
In a third everyday situation, you use studieren for history at university. 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 studiert Geschichte an der Universität.” — “He studies history at university.”
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 studieren is no exception. Use time expressions such as jeden Tag, immer or jede Woche to make the routine explicit. Example: “Wir studieren Medizin in Berlin.” — “We study medicine in Berlin.”
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 studieren 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 studiert jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “You study in the library every day.”
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 studiere Medizin in Berlin.” — “I study medicine in Berlin.”
Preterite: “Ich studierte Medizin in Berlin.” — “I studied medicine in Berlin.”
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 studierst jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “You study in the library every day.”
Preterite: “Du studiertest jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “You studied in the library 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): “Wir studieren Geschichte an der Universität.” — “We study history at university.”
Preterite: “Wir studierten Geschichte an der Universität.” — “We studied history at university.”
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: studieren 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 studiere jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “I study in the library every day.”
“Du studierst Geschichte an der Universität.” — “You study history at university.”
“Er studiert Medizin in Berlin.” — “He studies medicine in Berlin.”
“Wir studieren jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “We study in the library every day.”
“Ihr studiert Geschichte an der Universität.” — “You study history at university.”
“Sie studieren Medizin in Berlin.” — “They study medicine in Berlin.”
“Ich studiere jeden Tag in der Bibliothek.” — “I study in the library every day.”
“Du studierst Geschichte an der Universität.” — “You study history at university.”
Common mistakes with studieren 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 studieren Medizin in Berlin.” Right: “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin.” Why: The ich form is studiere, not studieren. Studieren belongs with sie. Mixing the two groups is the most common error with this verb.
Wrong: “Wir studieren Medizin in Berlin.” Right: “Wir studieren Medizin in Berlin.” Why: Wir keeps its own form: studieren, not studieren. Learn wir and ihr as a separate pair from the singular forms.
Wrong: “Ich studieren Medizin in Berlin.” (infinitive with a subject) Right: “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin.” Why: The infinitive studieren never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form studiere.
Wrong: “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin gestern.” (a finished past action) Right: “Ich habe Medizin in Berlin studiert.” Why: The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe studiert, not the present studiere.
Quiz: studieren 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 studieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) studierst
- B) studiert
- C) studieren
- D) studiere
What is the du form of studieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) studieren
- B) studierst
- C) studiere
- D) studiert
What is the er/sie/es form of studieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) studiert
- B) studiere
- C) studierst
- D) studieren
What is the wir form of studieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) studiert
- B) studieren
- C) studiere
- D) studierst
What is the ihr form of studieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) studiert
- B) studiere
- C) studierst
- D) studieren
What is the sie/Sie form of studieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) studiert
- B) studieren
- C) studiere
- D) studierst
7. What does studieren mean in English?
- A) to study
- B) to read
- C) to write
- D) to understand
8. What is the past participle of studieren?
- A) studiert
- B) gelesen
- C) geschrieben
- D) verstanden
Answer key
- D) studiere — The ich form of studieren in the Present (Präsens) is studiere.
- B) studierst — The du form of studieren in the Present (Präsens) is studierst.
- A) studiert — The er/sie/es form of studieren in the Present (Präsens) is studiert.
- B) studieren — The wir form of studieren in the Present (Präsens) is studieren.
- A) studiert — The ihr form of studieren in the Present (Präsens) is studiert.
- B) studieren — The sie/Sie form of studieren in the Present (Präsens) is studieren.
- A) to study — studieren means “to study”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
- A) studiert — The past participle of studieren is studiert; 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 studieren formed?
The present of studieren is regular: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich studiere, du studierst, er studiert, wir studieren, ihr studiert, sie studieren.
When do I use the present of studieren?
Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now — for example, “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin.” — “I study medicine in Berlin.” For a finished past action, use the Perfekt instead.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of studieren?
The present describes what is true now or happens regularly; the preterite describes one finished action in the past. Compare “Ich studiere Medizin in Berlin.” with “Ich studierte Medizin in Berlin.” — 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 studieren, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of studieren — every tense of studieren in one place.
- Studieren in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Studieren examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Lesen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Schreiben conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Verstehen 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 studieren with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise studieren with the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise studieren with the interactive tool.