From Middle High German backen, from Old High German backan, an originally weak verb and geminated variant of an older strong verb: Middle High German bachen, from Old High German bahhan, from Proto-West Germanic *bakan.
The two verbs early on were blended to some degree, each developing both weak and strong forms. Bachen was originally the predominant form in Upper German. Backen prevailed in the modern standard language because it was common in Central German and also in line with Middle Low German backen (where *baken is not attested). Cognate with German Low German backen, Dutch bakken, English bake, Danish bage, Swedish baka, and also Ancient Greek φώγω (phṓgō).
backen (weak or class 6 strong, third-person singular present backt or bäckt, past tense backte or buk, past participle gebacken or gebackt, past subjunctive backte or büke, auxiliary haben)
The verb backen has weak forms (present: du backst, er backt; past: backte; past participle: gebackt) alongside strong forms (du bäckst, er bäckt; buk; gebacken). The contemporary usage is as follows:
| infinitive | backen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | backend | ||||
| past participle | gebacken gebackt | ||||
| auxiliary | haben | ||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||
| singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
| present | ich backe | wir backen | i | ich backe | wir backen |
| du backst du bäckst |
ihr backt | du backest | ihr backet | ||
| er backt er bäckt |
sie backen | er backe | sie backen | ||
| preterite | ich backte ich buk |
wir backten wir buken |
ii | ich backte1 ich büke1 |
wir backten1 wir büken1 |
| du backtest du bukst |
ihr backtet ihr bukt |
du backtest1 du bükest1 du bükst1 |
ihr backtet1 ihr büket1 ihr bükt1 | ||
| er backte er buk |
sie backten sie buken |
er backte1 er büke1 |
sie backten1 sie büken1 | ||
| imperative | back (du) backe (du) |
backt (ihr) | |||
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.
From Old Dutch *bakkan, *bakan, from Proto-West Germanic *bakan.
backen
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
| Weak | ||
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | backen | |
| 3rd sg. past | — | |
| 3rd pl. past | — | |
| Past participle | — | |
| Infinitive | backen | |
| In genitive | backens | |
| In dative | backene | |
| Indicative | Present | Past |
| 1st singular | backe | — |
| 2nd singular | bacs, backes | — |
| 3rd singular | bact, backet | — |
| 1st plural | backen | — |
| 2nd plural | bact, backet | — |
| 3rd plural | backen | — |
| Subjunctive | Present | Past |
| 1st singular | backe | — |
| 2nd singular | bacs, backes | — |
| 3rd singular | backe | — |
| 1st plural | backen | — |
| 2nd plural | bact, backet | — |
| 3rd plural | backen | — |
| Imperative | Present | |
| Singular | bac, backe | |
| Plural | bact, backet | |
| Present | Past | |
| Participle | backende | — |
backen