Vollverbs

Vollverben, or full verbs, are a category in German grammar referring to lexical verbs that carry the main semantic content of a clause. They express actions, processes, or states and are conjugated for person and number. Vollverben are distinct from Hilfsverben (auxiliary verbs such as haben and sein), whose primary role is to form compound tenses, voice, or aspect. In some grammars, modal verbs are treated as a subtype of Vollverben, though they are often discussed separately due to their specific meaning related to necessity, possibility, permission, or obligation.

Vollverben can be transitive or intransitive and may take direct or indirect objects. They form finite clauses with inflected forms for tense and mood and also have non-finite forms such as the infinitive and participles (Partizip I and Partizip II). Many Vollverben allow prefixation, producing separable prefixes (for example aufstehen) or inseparable prefixes (verstehen), which can affect word order and semantics. Irregular Vollverben show stem changes in different tenses, while regular verbs follow predictable patterns.

In the standard tense system of German, the past or perfect tense is typically formed with a finite auxiliary verb (haben or sein) plus the Partizip II of the Vollverb, rather than by inflecting the Vollverb itself. This operational separation between semantic content (the Vollverb) and auxiliary support (for tense, voice, or aspect) is a central feature of German syntax. Vollverben thus constitute the core lexical backbone of sentences, enabling rich expression through various combinations of tense, aspect, mood, voice, and prefixal modification.