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Kalle sammelt Pilze in einem kleinen Korb. Kalle is gathering mushrooms in a little basket.

verb · A2

sammeln

[ˈzaml̩n]

to collect, to gather

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Other Examples

  • Ich sammle Fotos von allen Tieren im Wald.

    I collect photos of all the animals in the forest.

  • Sammelst du die schönsten Blätter für Lotte?

    Are you collecting the prettiest leaves for Lotte?

  • Wir sammeln am Ufer den Müll von anderen Leuten.

    We pick up other people's rubbish on the shore.

  • Habt ihr genug Holz für das Feuer gesammelt?

    Have you collected enough wood for the fire?

  • Frida und Emil sammeln Kastanien für Frau Hilde.

    Frida and Emil are collecting chestnuts for Frau Hilde.

Grammar

Present
er/sie/es sammelt What happens now or usually.
Simple past (Präteritum)
er/sie/es sammelte The past in stories and in writing; in speech mostly with sein, haben and the modal verbs.
Perfect (Perfekt)
er/sie/es hat gesammelt The past in conversation. Verbs of movement or change take "ist", most others "hat".

Conjugation

The verb in every person; under each table, when German uses it.

Indikativ
Person Präsens Präteritum Perfekt
ich sammlesammeltehabe gesammelt
du sammelstsammeltesthast gesammelt
er/sie/es sammeltsammeltehat gesammelt
wir sammelnsammeltenhaben gesammelt
ihr sammeltsammeltethabt gesammelt
sie/Sie sammelnsammeltenhaben gesammelt
Präsens
What happens now or usually; with a time word also the future.
Präteritum
The past in stories and in writing; in speech mostly with sein, haben and the modal verbs.
Perfekt
The past in conversation.
More Tenses and Moods
Indikativ
Person Plusquamperfekt Futur I Futur II
ich hatte gesammeltwerde sammelnwerde gesammelt haben
du hattest gesammeltwirst sammelnwirst gesammelt haben
er/sie/es hatte gesammeltwird sammelnwird gesammelt haben
wir hatten gesammeltwerden sammelnwerden gesammelt haben
ihr hattet gesammeltwerdet sammelnwerdet gesammelt haben
sie/Sie hatten gesammeltwerden sammelnwerden gesammelt haben
Plusquamperfekt
What had happened before another moment in the past.
Futur I
Plans, promises and guesses about the future; often the Präsens is enough.
Futur II
What will be finished by a moment in the future, or a guess about the past.
Person Konjunktiv II
ich sammelte
du sammeltest
er/sie/es sammelte
wir sammelten
ihr sammeltet
sie/Sie sammelten
Konjunktiv II
Wishes, polite requests and what isn't real.

The same as the Präteritum, so German mostly says "würde" + infinitive instead: ich würde sammeln.

Person Imperativ
du sammle!
ihr sammelt!
Sie sammeln Sie!
Imperativ
Requests and instructions to du, ihr and Sie.

How the Word Is Built

sammel root n ending

-n
the ending of the infinitive after -el or -er: wandern, sammeln.

Word family

die Sammlungversammeln

In Otti's situations: Kalle in the forest, Otti at the flea market

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