machen
to do/make
One of the most versatile German verbs. 'machen' means 'to do' or 'to make' and appears in countless everyday expressions. A regular verb and perfect model for learning standard conjugation patterns.
Conjugation
Present Tense (Präsens)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | mache |
| du | machst |
| er/sie/es | macht |
| wir | machen |
| ihr | macht |
| sie/Sie | machen |
Simple Past (Präteritum)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | machte |
| du | machtest |
| er/sie/es | machte |
| wir | machten |
| ihr | machtet |
| sie/Sie | machten |
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Auxiliary | Partizip II |
|---|---|
| haben | gemacht |
z.B.: Ich habe gemacht
Imperative (Imperativ)
| du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|
| mach(e) | macht | machen Sie |
Example Sentences
Was machst du heute Abend?
What are you doing tonight?
Ich habe einen Fehler gemacht.
I made a mistake.
Das macht Spaß!
That's fun!
Usage Tips
'machen' is used in many fixed expressions: 'Hausaufgaben machen' (do homework), 'einen Fehler machen' (make a mistake), 'Sport machen' (do sports), 'Spaß machen' (to be fun).
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'machen' with 'tun': 'Was machst du?' is more common than 'Was tust du?' in everyday speech
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