The idea
Present tense: ich putze, du putzt, er/sie/es putzt, wir putzen, ihr putzt, sie/Sie putzen. Learn the sentence pattern etwas putzen together with the principal parts.
| Form | Deutsch |
|---|---|
| ich | putze |
| du | putzt |
| er/sie/es | putzt |
| wir | putzen |
| ihr | putzt |
| sie/Sie | putzen |
| Präteritum | putzte |
| Perfekt | hat geputzt |
| Imperativ (du) | Putz! |
| Muster | etwas putzen |
Meaning and sentence pattern
After the stem's z, the du form is putzt rather than putzst. Zähne putzen is the usual expression for brushing teeth.
Learn this pattern as a unit: etwas putzen. The six situations below show the verb with concrete objects, complements or circumstances.
Form check
Du putzst das Fenster.Du putzt das Fenster.After a stem ending in z, the du ending is t rather than st.
Examples
- Ich putze die Fenster erst nach dem Regen.I clean the windows only after the rain.
- Du putzt dir vor dem Schlafengehen die Zähne.You brush your teeth before going to bed.
- Der Hausmeister putzt jeden Morgen die Eingangstür.The caretaker cleans the entrance door every morning.
- Wir putzten die Schuhe nach der Wanderung.We cleaned our shoes after the hike.
- Sie hat den Spiegel mit einem weichen Tuch geputzt.She cleaned the mirror with a soft cloth.
- Putz die Brille, damit du das Schild lesen kannst.Clean your glasses so that you can read the sign.
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Watch out
After a stem ending in z, the du ending is t rather than st.
Try it yourself
du ___ (putzen, Präsens)
Show answer or example answer
putzt
putzt: this is the second-person singular present form.
er/sie ___ (putzen, Präteritum)
Show answer or example answer
putzte
putzte: this is the third-person singular simple past.
Perfekt: er/sie hat ___
Show answer or example answer
geputzt
geputzt: in this use the perfect tense is hat geputzt.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
du ___ (putzen, Präsens)
er/sie ___ (putzen, 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 putzen.