8.13 Verbs whose stem ends in "-d" or "-t"-2

The present tense of verbs with stems ending in "-t"

The same principle is true for verbs whose stem ends in "-t", such as "warten" (= to wait), "lauten" (= to be) and "antworten" (= to answer). These verbs also add an extra "-e-" before the normal verb endings in the "du", "ihr" and "er/sie/es" forms of the present tense.

The present tenses of the other aforementioned "-t-" verbs would give us the following examples:

 

Die Nummer lautet: 28 50 67.

(The number is 285067.)

Ihr antwortet nicht!

(You're not answering me!) 

The irregular verb "sprechen"

We have also come across a further verb which has an irregular present tense. The verb "sprechen" (= to speak) changes the stem vowel from "-e-" to "-i-" in the "du" and "er/sie/es" forms of the present tense.