The idea
Present tense: ich prüfe, du prüfst, er/sie/es prüft, wir prüfen, ihr prüft, sie/Sie prüfen. Learn the sentence pattern etwas prüfen; prüfen, ob ... together with the principal parts.
| Form | Deutsch |
|---|---|
| ich | prüfe |
| du | prüfst |
| er/sie/es | prüft |
| wir | prüfen |
| ihr | prüft |
| sie/Sie | prüfen |
| Präteritum | prüfte |
| Perfekt | hat geprüft |
| Imperativ (du) | Prüfe! |
| Muster | etwas prüfen; prüfen, ob ... |
Meaning and sentence pattern
Prüfen means examining something against a question or criterion. It can introduce an ob clause when the result is still unknown.
Learn this pattern as a unit: etwas prüfen; prüfen, ob .... The six situations below show the verb with concrete objects, complements or circumstances.
Form check
Du prüfest die Liste.Du prüfst die Liste.The ordinary present du form is prüfst, without an extra e.
Examples
- Ich prüfe die Maße vor der Bestellung.I check the measurements before ordering.
- Du prüfst, ob alle Seiten vorhanden sind.You check whether all pages are present.
- Die Mitarbeiterin prüft die Nummer auf dem Etikett.The employee checks the number on the label.
- Wir prüften mehrere mögliche Ursachen.We examined several possible causes.
- Der Techniker hat die Verbindung gründlich geprüft.The technician checked the connection thoroughly.
- Prüfe die Adresse, bevor du das Paket abgibst.Check the address before handing over the parcel.
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Watch out
The ordinary present du form is prüfst, without an extra e.
Try it yourself
du ___ (prüfen, Präsens)
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prüfst
prüfst: this is the second-person singular present form.
er/sie ___ (prüfen, Präteritum)
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prüfte
prüfte: this is the third-person singular simple past.
Perfekt: er/sie hat ___
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geprüft
geprüft: in this use the perfect tense is hat geprüft.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
du ___ (prüfen, Präsens)
er/sie ___ (prüfen, Präteritum)
Perfekt: er/sie hat ___
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Read the six situations aloud, compare the verb forms, and complete the present, past and participle checks. Then write a new sentence that follows etwas prüfen; prüfen, ob ....