Stem Change e To i
In many common German verbs, the stem vowel e changes to i when talking about 'you' (du) or 'he/she/it' (er/sie/es). This is a mandatory change for these specific 'strong' verbs.
How It Works
In German, verbs are categorized as 'weak' (regular) or 'strong' (irregular). A large group of strong verbs undergoes a vowel shift in the present tense.
1. When does it happen?
The change only occurs in the singular forms for du and er/sie/es. It does not happen in the plural forms (wir, ihr, sie) or the formal Sie.
- ich helfe (I help)
- du hilfst (you help)
- er hilft (he helps)
- wir helfen (we help)
- ihr helft (you all help)
2. The Imperative
Unlike the a→ä stem change, the e→i change also carries over to the singular command form. For example, the command for 'Speak!' is Sprich! (not Sprech!).
3. Special Cases
Most verbs follow the rule that a short 'e' becomes a short 'i' (e.g., helfen → hilft). However, three very common verbs are slightly different:
- geben (to give): er gibt (long 'e' becomes short 'i')
- nehmen (to take): du nimmst (the 'h' disappears and 'm' doubles)
- treten (to step): er tritt (the 't' doubles)
Examples (5)
- Sprichst du Deutsch?
Do you speak German?
Word by Word: Speak you German?
The verb 'sprechen' changes from 'e' to 'i' because the subject is 'du'.
- Er hilft seiner Mutter.
He helps his mother.
Word by Word: He helps his mother.
The verb 'helfen' changes to 'hilft' in the 3rd person singular.
- Wer nimmt den letzten Keks?
Who is taking the last cookie?
Word by Word: Who takes the last cookie?
The verb 'nehmen' changes to 'nimmt' (with a double 'm') for the subject 'wer' (who), which functions like 'er/sie/es'.
- Gib mir bitte das Buch!
Please give me the book!
Word by Word: Give me please the book!
In the imperative (command) form for 'du', the e→i change is required: 'Gib!' instead of 'Geb!'.
- Wir essen jetzt, aber er isst schon.
We are eating now, but he is already eating.
Word by Word: We eat now, but he eats already.
Notice that 'wir essen' remains regular, but 'er isst' takes the stem change.
Common Mistakes
Applying the stem change to the 'ihr' (you plural) form.
Ihr spricht sehr gut.Ihr sprecht sehr gut.The stem change only happens in the singular (du/er/sie/es). The plural 'ihr' always uses the original stem from the infinitive.
Forgetting the stem change in the imperative (command) form.
Helf mir!Hilf mir!Unlike verbs with an 'a' stem change, verbs with an 'e' stem change MUST use the 'i' form in the singular imperative.
Forgetting the consonant changes in 'nehmen' or 'treten'.
Er nehmst das Geld.Er nimmt das Geld.The verb 'nehmen' is extra irregular: the 'e' becomes 'i', the 'h' is dropped, and the 'm' is doubled.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand stem-changing verbs, you must first be comfortable with regular present tense conjugation and the singular personal pronouns, as the change only affects specific forms within that system.
Related Patterns
- Stem Change e To ie
A similar vowel shift for long 'e' sounds, such as in 'lesen' (to read) or 'sehen' (to see).
Level 1 - Stem Change a To ä
Another common present-tense vowel shift, though it does not affect the imperative form.
Level 1 - Command Form (du)
The e→i change is one of the few stem changes that must be applied when giving a command to one person.
Level 1 - ich/du/er/sie/esPersonal Pronouns Singular
The stem change is specifically triggered by the 2nd and 3rd person singular pronouns.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Stem Change e To i in Bubblegum
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