Before you start
Meet sprechen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 7 meanings
- (transitive) to speak (some language, the truth, etc.)
- (intransitive) to speak, to talk, to give a speech [with über (+ accusative) ‘about something’]
- (transitive) to say, to speak (a word, phrase, sentence, prayer, etc.)
- (reflexive, of a word) to have a pronunciation; to be pronounced (some way)
- (transitive) to pronounce (a judgment, a verdict, etc.)
- (transitive, literary, poetic) to say (something)
Forms
How sprechen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | spreche | sprach |
| du | sprichst | sprachst |
| er/sie/es | spricht | sprach |
| wir | sprechen | sprachen |
| ihr | sprecht | spracht |
| Sie | sprechen | sprachen |
Partizip II gesprochen · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich spreche zu Hause Deutsch.I speak German at home.speaking a language
- 2Wir haben gestern mit dem Arzt gesprochen.We spoke with the doctor yesterday.Perfekt with haben
- 3Sie fragt, ob du Deutsch sprichst.She asks whether you speak German.verb at the end in a subordinate clause
Verb family
Separable verbs built on sprechen
Add a prefix to sprechen and the meaning changes.