Gothic verbs

Gothic verbs have the most complex conjugation of any attested Germanic language. Most categories reconstructed for the Proto-Germanic verb system are preserved in Gothic. Our knowledge of the Proto-Germanic verb is itself to a large degree based on Gothic, meaning that its reconstruction may be fragmentary.

Strong verbs

The following is a table of all the different types and subtypes of strong verbs.

Class	Gloss	Infinitive	Past Singular	Past Plural	Past Participle
Class Ia	"to bite"	beitan	báit	bitum	bitans
Class Ib	"to fight"	weihan	wáih	waíhum	waíhans
Class IIa	"to fall"	driusan	dráus	drusum	drusans
Class IIb	"to lead"	tiuhan	táuh	taúhum	taúhans
Class II, aorist-present	"to shut"	ga-lūkan	ga-láuk	ga-lukum	ga-lukans
Class IIIa	"to bind"	bindan	band	bundum	bundans
Class IIIb	"to become"	waírþan	warþ	waúrþum	waúrþans
Class IVa	"to take"	niman	nam	nēmum	numans
Class IVb	"to bear"	baíran	bar	bērum	baúrans
Class IV, aorist-present	"to tread"	trudan	*traþ	*trēdum	trudans
Class Va	"to say"	qiþan	qaþ	qēþum	qiþans
	"to give"	giban	gaf	gēbum	gibans
	"to hasten"	sniwan	snáu	snēwum	sniwans
Class Va, -j- present	"to pray"	bidjan	baþ	bēdum	bidans
Class Va, irregular	"to eat"	itan	ēt	ētum	itans
Class Vb	"to see"	saíƕan	saƕ	sēƕum	saíƕans
Class Vb, -n- present	"to ask"	fraíhnan	frah	frēhum	fraíhans
Class VI	"to go"	faran	fōr	fōrum	farans
Class VI	"to dig"	graban	grōf	grōbum	grabans
Class VI, -j- present	"to understand"	fraþjan	frōþ	frōþum	fraþans
Class VI, n-infix present	"to stand"	standan	stōþ	stōþum	*staþans
Class VII(a)	"to fold"	falþan	faífalþ	faífalþum	falþans
	"to seize"	fāhan	faífāh	faífāhum	fāhans
	"to call"	háitan	haíháit	haíháitum	háitans
	"to sleep"	slēpan	saíslēp, saízlēp	saíslēpum, saízlēpum	slēpans
	"to boast"	ƕōpan	ƕaíƕōp	ƕaíƕōpum	ƕōpans
	"to revile"	*lauan	*laílō	*laílōum	*lauans
	"to add"	áukan	aíáuk	aíáukum	áukans
Class VII(b)	"to weep"	grētan	gaígrōt	gaígrōtum	grētans
	"to reflect upon"	ga-rēdan	ga-raírōþ	ga-raírōdum	ga-rēdans
	"to sow"	saian	saísō	saísōum	saians

The following strong verbs are extant in Gothic:

Class Ia: beidan "to await" (báiþ), beitan "to bite", deigan "to knead", dreiban "to drive" (dráif), greipan "to seize", hneiwan "to bow", bi-leiban "to remain" (bi-láif), ga-leiþan "to go", ur-reisan "to arise", skeinan "to shine", dis-skreitan "to rend", ga-smeitan "to smear", sneiþan "to cut", speiwan "to spit", steigan "to ascend", sweiban "to cease" (swáif), weipan "to crown", in-weitan "to worship";
Class Ib: leiƕan "to lend", ga-teihan "to tell", þeihan "to thrive", þreihan "to press upon", weihan "to fight";
Class IIa: ana-biudan "to bid" (ana-báuþ), biugan "to bend", driugan "to serve as a soldier", driusan "to fall", giutan "to pour", hiufan "to mourn", dis-hniupan "to break asunder", kiusan "to test", kriustan "to gnash"; liudan "to grow" (láuþ), liugan "to lie", fra-liusan "to lose", niutan "to enjoy", siukan "to be sick", af-skiuban "to push aside" (af-skáuf), sliupan "to slip", us-þriutan "to trouble";
Class IIb: tiuhan "to lead", þliuhan "to flee";
Class II, aorist-present: ga-lūkan "to shut";
Class IIIa: bindan "to bind", bliggwan "to beat", brinnan "to burn", drigkan "to drink", filhan "to hide", finþan "to find", us-gildan "to repay", du-ginnan "to begin", hilpan "to help", fra-hinþan "to capture", af-linnan "to depart", rinnan "to run", siggwan "to sing", sigqan "to sink", fra-slindan "to swallow up", spinnan "to spin", stigqan "to thrust", swiltan "to die", ana-trimpan "to tread on", at-þinsan "to attract", þriskan "to thresh", wilwan "to rob", windan "to wind", winnan "to suffer", ga-wrisqan "to bear fruit";
Class IIIb: baírgan "to keep", uf-gaírdan "to gird up", ƕaírban "to walk", af-swaírban "to wipe out", ga-þaírsan "to wither", waírpan "to throw", waírþan "to become";
Class IVa: brikan "to break", niman "to take", qiman "to come", stilan "to steal", ga-timan "to suit";
Class IVb: baíran "to bear", ga-taíran "to destroy";
Class IV, aorist-present: trudan "to tread";
Class Va: diwan "to die" (dáu), fitan "to travail in birth", giban "to give" (gaf), bi-gitan "to find", hlifan "to steal", ligan "to lie down", lisan "to gather", mitan "to measure", ga-nisan "to be saved", niþan "to help", qiþan "to say", rikan "to heap up", sitan "to sit", sniwan "to hasten" (snáu), ga-widan "to bind" (ga-waþ), ga-wigan "to shake down", wisan "to be, remain", wrikan "to persecute";
Class Va, -j- present: bidjan "to pray";
Class Va, irregular: itan "to eat";
Class Vb: saíƕan "to see";
Class Vb, -n- present: fraíhnan "to ask";
Class VI: alan "to grow", us-anan "to expire", ga-daban "to beseem" (ga-dōf), ga-draban "to hew out" (ga-drōf), ga-dragan "to heap up", faran "to go", graban "to dig" (grōf), af-hlaþan "to lade", malan "to grind", sakan "to rebuke", skaban "to shave" (skōf), slahan "to smite", swaran "to swear", þwahan "to wash", wakan "to wake";
Class VI, -j- present: fraþjan "to understand", hafjan "to raise", hlahjan "to laugh", ga-raþjan "to count", ga-skapjan "to create", skaþjan "to injure", wahsjan "to grow";
Class VI, n-infix present: standan "to stand" (stōþ);
Class VII(a), -a- present: us-alþan "to grow old", blandan "to mix", falþan "to fold", gaggan "to go" (past supplied by iddja), haldan "to hold", ana-praggan "to oppress", saltan "to salt", ga-staldan "to possess", waldan "to rule";
Class VII(a), -ā- present: fāhan "to seize", hāhan "to hang";
Class VII(a), -ái- present: af-áikan "to deny", fráisan "to tempt", háitan "to call", láikan "to leap", máitan "to cut", skáidan "to divide"(skaískáiþ), ga-þláihan "to cherish, comforẗ";
Class VII(a), -ē- present: uf-blēsan "to blow up, puff up", slēpan "to sleep";
Class VII(a), -ō- present: blōtan "to worship", *flōkan "to bewail", ƕōpan "to boast";
Class VII(a), -au- present: *lauan "to revile" (*laílō); possibly also *bnauan "to rub", which may be a Class III weak verb (see below);
Class VII(a), -áu- present: áukan "to add", hláupan "to leap", stáutan "to smite";
Class VII(b), -ē- present: grētan "to weep", lētan "to let", ga-rēdan "to reflect upon" (ga-raírōþ), tēkan "to touch";
Class VII(b), -ai- present: saian "to sow", *waian "to blow".

The following is a sample paradigm of a strong verb, niman "to take".

		Indicative		Optative		Imperative
		Active	Passive	Active	Passive	Active
Present	1st sing	nima	nimada	nimáu	nimáidáu	—
	2nd sing	nimis	nimaza	nimáis	nimáizáu	nim
	3rd sing	nimiþ	nimada	nimái	nimáidáu	nimadáu
	1st dual	nimōs	—	nimáiwa	—
	2nd dual	nimats	—	nimáits	nimats
	1st plur	nimam	nimanda	nimáima	nimáindáu	nimam
	2nd plur	nimiþ		nimáiþ		nimiþ
	3rd plur	nimand		nimáina		nimandáu
Past	1st sing	nam	—	nēmjáu	—
	2nd sing	namt		nēmeis
	3rd sing	nam		nēmi
	1st dual	nēmu		nēmeiwa
	2nd dual	nēmuts		nēmeits
	1st plur	nēmum		nēmeima
	2nd plur	nēmuþ		nēmeiþ
	3rd plur	nēmun		nēmeina
Infinitive		niman
Present Participle		nimands
Past Participle		numans

Weak verbs

Class I verbs

The following is a sample paradigm of three class I weak verbs, nasjan "to save" (short stem-syllable), stōjan "to judge" (long open stem-syllable), and sōkjan "to seek" (long closed stem-syllable).

Verbs with a polysyllabic root behave like sōkjan regardless of the nature of the last syllable of the root; hence, glitmunjan "to shine" behaves like sōkjan and is conjugated in the present indicative glitmunja, glitmuneis, glitmuneiþ, ....

		Indicative						Optative						Imperative
		Active			Passive			Active			Passive			Active
Present	1st sing	nasja	stōja	sōkja	nasjada	stōjada	sōkjada	nasjáu	stōjáu	sōkjáu	nasjáidáu	stōjáidáu	sōkjáidáu	—
	2nd sing	nasjis	stōjis	sōkeis	nasjaza	stōjaza	sōkjaza	nasjáis	stōjáis	sōkjáis	nasjáizáu	stōjáizáu	sōkjáizáu	nasei	*stauei	sōkei
	3rd sing	nasjiþ	stōjiþ	sōkeiþ	nasjada	stōjada	sōkjada	nasjái	stōjái	sōkjái	nasjáidáu	stōjáidáu	sōkjáidáu	nasjadáu	stōjadáu	sōkjadáu
	1st dual	nasjōs	stōjōs	sōkjōs	—			nasjáiwa	stōjáiwa	sōkjáiwa	—
	2nd dual	nasjats	stōjats	sōkjats	—			nasjáits	stōjáits	sōkjáits	nasjats	stōjats	sōkjats	nasjats	stōjats	sōkjats
	1st plur	nasjam	stōjam	sōkjam	nasjanda	stōjanda	sōkjanda	nasjáima	stōjáima	sōkjáima	nasjáindáu	stōjáindáu	sōkjáindáu	nasjam	stōjam	sōkjam
	2nd plur	nasjiþ	stōjiþ	sōkeiþ				nasjáiþ	stōjáiþ	sōkjáiþ	nasjáindáu	stōjáindáu	sōkjáindáu	nasjiþ	stōjiþ	sōkeiþ
	3rd plur	nasjand	stōjand	sōkjand				nasjáina	stōjáina	sōkjáina	nasjáindáu	stōjáindáu	sōkjáindáu	nasjandáu	stōjandáu	sōkjandáu
Past	1st sing	nasida	stauida	sōkida	—			nasidēdjáu	stauidēdjáu	sōkidēdjáu	—
	2nd sing	nasidēs	stauidēs	sōkidēs				nasidēdeis	stauidēdeis	sōkidēdeis
	3rd sing	nasida	stauida	sōkida				nasidēdi	stauidēdi	sōkidēdi
	1st dual	nasidēdu	stauidēdu	sōkidēdu				nasidēdeiwa	stauidēdeiwa	sōkidēdeiwa
	2nd dual	nasidēduts	stauidēduts	sōkidēduts				nasidēdeits	stauidēdeits	sōkidēdeits
	1st plur	nasidēdum	stauidēdum	sōkidēdum				nasidēdeima	stauidēdeima	sōkidēdeima
	2nd plur	nasidēduþ	stauidēduþ	sōkidēduþ				nasidēdeiþ	stauidēdeiþ	sōkidēdeiþ
	3rd plur	nasidēdun	stauidēdun	sōkidēdun				nasidēdeina	stauidēdeina	sōkidēdeina
Infinitive		nasjan	stōjan	sōkjan
Past Participle		nasiþs	stauiþs	sōkiþs

The word stōjan changes to stauida in the past in accordance with general phonetic rules. Other verbs with similar changes are

ana-niujan "to renew", ga-qiujan "to give life to", siujan "to sew", which change to e.g. ana-niwida in the past.
*stráujan and *táujan, which change to e.g. strawida in the past.

Some class I verbs have an irregular past due to the fact that the -i- in the past was lost in Proto-Germanic:

Infinitive	Gloss	Past	Past Participle
briggan	"to bring"	brāhta	*brāhts
brūkjan	"to use"	brūhta	*brūhts
bugjan	"to buy"	baúhta	*baúhts
gaggan	"to go"	iddja	gaggans
káupatjan	"to buffet"	káupasta	káupatiþs
þagkjan	"to think"	þāhta	þāhts
þugkjan	"to seem"	þūhta	þūhts
waúrkjan	"to work"	waúrhta	waúrhts

gaggan is properly a Class VII strong verb. iddja is declined like a weak verb. A weak past gaggida also occurs once.
briggan is properly a Class III strong verb, with other parts taken from a lost verb *braggjan (cf. Old English breng(e)an, Old Saxon brengian).

Class II verbs

The following is a sample paradigm of a class II weak verb, salbōn "to anoint".

		Indicative		Optative		Imperative
		Active	Passive	Active	Passive	Active
Present	1st sing	salbō	salbōda	salbō	salbōdáu	—
	2nd sing	salbōs	salbōza	salbōs	salbōzáu	salbō
	3rd sing	salbōþ	salbōda	salbō	salbōdáu	salbōdáu
	1st dual	salbōs	—	salbōwa	—
	2nd dual	salbōts	—	salbōts
	1st plur	salbōm	salbōnda	salbōma	salbōndáu	salbōm
	2nd plur	salbōþ		salbōþ		salbōþ
	3rd plur	salbōnd		salbōna		salbōndáu
Past	1st sing	salbōda	—	salbōdēdjáu	—	—
	2nd sing	salbōdēs		salbōdēdeis
	3rd sing	salbōda		salbōdēdi
	1st dual	salbōdēdu		salbōdēdeiwa
	2nd dual	salbōdēduts		salbōdēdeits
	1st plur	salbōdēdum		salbōdēdeima
	2nd plur	salbōdēduþ		salbōdēdeiþ
	3rd plur	salbōdēdun		salbōdēdeina
Infinitive		salbōn
Past Participle		salbōþs

Class III verbs

The following is a sample paradigm of a class III weak verb, haban "to have".

		Indicative		Optative		Imperative
		Active	Passive	Active	Passive	Active
Present	1st sing	haba	habada	habáu	habáidáu	—
	2nd sing	habáis	habaza	habáis	habáizáu	habái
	3rd sing	habáiþ	habada	habái	habáidáu	habadáu
	1st dual	habōs	—	habáiwa	—
	2nd dual	habats	—	habáits	habats
	1st plur	habam	habanda	habáima	habáindáu	habam
	2nd plur	habáiþ		habáiþ		habáiþ
	3rd plur	haband		habáina		habandáu
Past	1st sing	habáida	—	habáidēdjáu	—	—
	2nd sing	habáidēs		habáidēdeis
	3rd sing	habáida		habáidēdi
	1st dual	habáidēdu		habáidēdeiwa
	2nd dual	habáidēduts		habáidēdeits
	1st plur	habáidēdum		habáidēdeima
	2nd plur	habáidēduþ		habáidēdeiþ
	3rd plur	habáidēdun		habáidēdeina
Infinitive		haban
Past Participle		habáiþs

Class III is apparently a closed class, containing only the following verbs: áistan "to reverence", ana-silan "to be silent", and-staúrran "to murmur against", arman "to pity", bauan "to dwell", fastan "to fast, hold firm", fijan "to hate", ga-geigan "to gain", ga-kunnan "to recognize", haban "to have", hatan "to hate", jiukan "to contend", leikan "to please", liban "to live", liugan "to marry", maúrnan "to mourn", munan "to consider", reiran "to tremble", saúrgan "to sorrow", sifan "to rejoice", skaman (sik) "to be ashamed", slawan "to be silent", trauan "to trust", swēran "to honour", þahan "to be silent", witan "to watch, observe". Possibly also *bnauan "to rub" belongs here—only the present participle occurs, which is not enough to tell whether this is a Class III weak verb or Class VII strong verb.

Notes:

bauan "to dwell" was originally a Class VII strong verb (cf. Old Icelandic būa "to dwell", past singular bjō, past participle būenn), and the third singular present indicative is still normally bauiþ, a strong form (vs. *bauáiþ, the expected weak form).
hatan also occurs as a Class I weak verb hatjan.

Class IV Verbs

The following is a sample paradigm of a class IV weak verb, fullnan "to become full".

		Indicative		Optative		Imperative
		Active	Passive	Active	Passive	Active
Present	1st sing	fullna	fullnada	fullnáu	fullnáidáu	—
	2nd sing	fullnis	fullnaza	fullnáis	fullnáizáu	fulln
	3rd sing	fullniþ	fullnada	fullnái	fullnáidáu	fullnadáu
	1st dual	fullnōs	—	fullnáiwa	—
	2nd dual	fullnats	—	fullnáiwa	fullnats
	1st plur	fullnam	fullnanda	fullnáima	fullnáindáu	fullnam
	2nd plur	fullniþ		fullnáiþ		fullniþ
	3rd plur	fullnand		fullnáina		fullnandáu
Past	1st sing	fullnōda	—	fullnōdēdjáu	—	—
	2nd sing	fullnōdēs		fullnōdēdeis
	3rd sing	fullnōda		fullnōdēdi
	1st dual	fullnōdēdu		fullnōdēdeiwa
	2nd dual	fullnōdēduts		fullnōdēdeits
	1st plur	fullnōdēdum		fullnōdēdeima
	2nd plur	fullnōdēduþ		fullnōdēdeiþ
	3rd plur	fullnōdēdun		fullnōdēdeina
Infinitive		fullnan
Past Participle		fullnōþs

Preterite-present verbs

So-called "preterite-present verbs" are a feature of Germanic languages that have a present tense formed like the past tense (or "preterite") of strong verbs. The verbs often have the semantics of modal verbs, and in fact the present-day English modal verbs "can, could, may, might, shall, should, must" are descended from Old English preterite-present verbs. The past tense of these verbs is a new formation and has the endings of weak verbs. Arguably, all seven classes of strong verbs are represented in Gothic by at least one preterite-present verb.

The following table presents substantially all extant forms of each of the existing preterite-present verbs in Gothic. In some cases, extant forms are not given when another closely related extant form appears. For example, third plural present indicative skulun is doubtless extant, but is not given because it is easily derivable from the extant first plural form skulum. Many of the missing forms can be derived from existing forms as the number of principal parts is small—in fact, three is usually enough: First/third person singular present indicative, first (or third) person plural present indicative, first/third person singular past indicative. However, occasional small irregularities may occur, and the table below errs on the side of under-generalization.

The forms given are:

Infinitive.
Present indicative first/third singular (the two forms are always the same),
Present indicative second singular.
Present indicative dual. Whichever forms are extant are given.
Present indicative first plural. Other extant plural forms are subsumed under this category. When starred (i.e. indicated as hypothetical), this generally indicates that only the third plural form is extant.
Present subjunctive first singular. Other extant forms are subsumed under this category.
Past indicative first/third sunglar. Other extant forms are subsumed under this category.
Past subjunctive first singular. Other extant forms are subsumed under this category.
Imperative. Whichever forms are extant are given.
Present Participle. Is easily derivable from the infinitive.
Past Participle. Is easily derivable from the past tense stem. A gloss is given since the participle often has an unpredictable meaning, especially when the verb in question is inherently intransitive. In some cases a past participle is given without a gloss; this omission goes back to the source (Joseph Wright's Grammar of the Gothic Language) used to compile the table.

Class	Infinitive	Gloss	Pres 1/3sg	Pres 2sg	Pres dual	Pres 1pl	Pres subj	Past 1/3sg	Past subj	Imperative	Pres part	Past part	Past part gloss
I	*witan	"to know"	wáit	wáist		witum	witjáu	wissa	wissēdjáu		witands
I		"to know"	láis
II		"to be good for, to profit"	dáug
III	kunnan	"to know"	kann	kant, kannt		kunnum		kunþa	kunþēdjáu		kunnands	kunþs	"known"
	*þaúrban	"to need"	þarf	þarft		þaúrbum	þaúrbjáu	þaúrfta			þaúrbands	þaúrfts	"necessary"
	ga-daúrsan	"to dare"	ga-dars			ga-daúrsum	ga-daúrsjáu	ga-daúrsta
IV	*skulan	"shall, to owe"	skal	skalt		skulum	skuljáu	skulda	skuldēdjáu		skulands	skulds	"owing, lawful"
	munan	"to think"	man			munum	munjáu	munda			munands	munds
	*bi-naúhan	"to be permitted, lawful"	bi-nah									bi-naúhts	"sufficient"
	*ga-naúhan	"to suffice"	ga-nah
V	*magan	"can, may"	mag	magt (*maht)	1du magu; 2du maguts	magum	magjáu	mahta	mahtēdjáu		magands	mahts
VI	*ga-mōtan	"to find room"	ga-mōt			*ga-mōtum	ga-mōtjáu	ga-mōsta
VI	*ōgan	"to fear"	ōg			*ōgum	ōgjáu	ōhta		2sg ōgs; 2pl ōgeiþ	(un-agands "fearless")
VII	*áihan (faír-áihan "to partake of")	"to have"	áih, áig			áigum, áihum; 2pl áihuþ; 3pl áigun	3sg áigi; 2pl áigeiþ; 3pl áigeina	áihta; 3pl áihtēdun	2sg áihtēdeis		áigands, áihands

Irregular verbs

wisan, "to be"

This highly irregular verb derives from two different Proto-Indo-European roots by suppletion; see Indo-European copula for more.

		Indicative	Optative
		Active	Active
Present	1st sing	im	sijáu
	2nd sing	is	sijáis
	3rd sing	ist	sijái
	1st dual	siju	*sijáiwa
	2nd dual	*sijuts	*sijáits
	1st plur	sijum	sijáima
	2nd plur	sijuþ	sijáiþ
	3rd plur	sind	sijáina
Past	1st sing	was	wēsjáu
	2nd sing	wast	wēseis
	3rd sing	was	wēsi
	1st dual	wēsu	wēseiwa
	2nd dual	wēsuts	wēseits
	1st plur	wēsum	wēseima
	2nd plur	wēsuþ	wēseiþ
	3rd plur	wēsun	wēseina
Infinitive		wisan
Past Participle		wisans

wiljan, "to want/will"

This irregular verb derives from the fossilized optative mood of a Proto-Indo-European verb (not to be confused with the Gothic mood known as optative, which corresponds to the subjunctive mood of PIE and other Germanic languages).

		Indicative	Optative
		Active	Active
Present	1st sing	wiljáu	—
	2nd sing	wiljáis
	3rd sing	wiljái
	1st dual	wiljáiwa
	2nd dual	wiljáits
	1st plur	wiljáima
	2nd plur	wiljáiþ
	3rd plur	wiljáina
Past	1st sing	wilda	wildēdjáu
	2nd sing	wildēs	wildēdeis
	3rd sing	wilda	wildēdi
	1st dual	wildēdu	wildēdeiwa
	2nd dual	wildēduts	wildēdeits
	1st plur	wildēdum	wildēdeima
	2nd plur	wildēduþ	wildēdeiþ
	3rd plur	wildēdun	wildēdeina
Infinitive		wiljan
Past Participle		—

References

Bennett, William Holmes (1980). An Introduction to the Gothic Language. New York: Modern Language Association of America.
Wright, Joseph (1910). Grammar of the Gothic Language. Oxford: Clarendon Press.