Conjugation of the German Verb “mailen“: A Comprehensive Guide102

The German verb "mailen," meaning "to email," is a relatively recent addition to the German lexicon, reflecting the increasing prevalence of electronic communication. Unlike many older, irregular verbs, "mailen" follows the standard pattern of weak verbs, making its conjugation relatively straightforward for learners. However, understanding its nuances and variations across tenses and moods is crucial for fluent German communication. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the conjugation of "mailen," covering all essential forms and providing examples for clarity.

Present Tense (Präsens): The present tense is the most commonly used tense and describes actions happening now or habitually. "Mailen" follows the regular weak verb conjugation pattern, adding the appropriate endings to the stem "mail-".

Pronoun
Conjugation
Example Sentence


ich (I)
maile
Ich maile dir gleich. (I'll email you right away.)


du (you - singular informal)
mailst
Du mailst mir selten. (You rarely email me.)


er/sie/es (he/she/it)
mailt
Er mailt jeden Tag. (He emails every day.)


wir (we)
mailen
Wir mailen uns regelmäßig. (We email each other regularly.)


ihr (you - plural informal/formal singular in some regions)
mailt
Ihr mailt zu oft! (You email too often!)


sie/Sie (they/you - formal)
mailen
Sie mailen uns die Informationen. (They/You email us the information.)

Imperfect Tense (Imperfekt): The imperfect tense describes actions that happened in the past. For weak verbs like "mailen," the imperfect is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the stem "mailt-".

Pronoun
Conjugation
Example Sentence


ich (I)
mailte
Ich mailte ihm gestern. (I emailed him yesterday.)


du (you - singular informal)
mailtest
Du mailtest mir letzte Woche. (You emailed me last week.)


er/sie/es (he/she/it)
mailte
Sie mailte ihn sofort. (She emailed him immediately.)


wir (we)
mailten
Wir mailten den Bericht ab. (We emailed the report.)


ihr (you - plural informal/formal singular in some regions)
mailtet
Ihr mailtet spät abends. (You emailed late in the evening.)


sie/Sie (they/you - formal)
mailten
Sie mailten uns die Unterlagen. (They/You emailed us the documents.)

Perfect Tense (Perfekt): The perfect tense is used to describe completed actions in the past. It uses the auxiliary verb "haben" (to have) and the past participle "gemailt."

Pronoun
Conjugation
Example Sentence


ich (I)
habe gemailt
Ich habe ihm gemailt. (I have emailed him.)


du (you - singular informal)
hast gemailt
Du hast mir gemailt. (You have emailed me.)


er/sie/es (he/she/it)
hat gemailt
Er hat gemailt. (He has emailed.)


wir (we)
haben gemailt
Wir haben gemailt. (We have emailed.)


ihr (you - plural informal/formal singular in some regions)
habt gemailt
Ihr habt gemailt. (You have emailed.)


sie/Sie (they/you - formal)
haben gemailt
Sie haben gemailt. (They/You have emailed.)

Pluperfect Tense (Plusquamperfekt): The pluperfect tense describes an action completed before another action in the past. It uses the auxiliary verb "hatte" (had) and the past participle "gemailt."

Future Tense (Futur I): The future tense is formed using the auxiliary verb "werden" (to become) and the infinitive "mailen."

Other Forms: The imperative (command) forms are "mail!" (singular informal), "mailt!" (plural informal/formal singular in some regions), and "mailen Sie!" (formal). The passive voice forms are also relatively straightforward, using the auxiliary verb "werden" and the past participle "gemailt." The subjunctive (Konjunktiv) forms are less frequently used in everyday conversation but are important for formal writing and certain grammatical structures. They follow the patterns established for weak verbs in the subjunctive.

In conclusion, while "mailen" is a modern verb, its conjugation follows the predictable pattern of weak verbs in German. Understanding these patterns allows for accurate and fluent communication in various contexts. Mastering the conjugation of "mailen" is a significant step towards achieving proficiency in the German language, particularly in the context of modern communication.

2025-05-05

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