A merger of two related verbs:
Doublet with runnen (“to manage”).
rennen
| Inflection of rennen (weak) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | rennen | |||
| past singular | rende | |||
| past participle | gerend | |||
| infinitive | rennen | |||
| gerund | rennen n | |||
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | ren | rende | ||
| 2nd person sing. (jij) | rent | rende | ||
| 2nd person sing. (u) | rent | rende | ||
| 2nd person sing. (gij) | rent | rende | ||
| 3rd person singular | rent | rende | ||
| plural | rennen | renden | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | renne | rende | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | rennen | renden | ||
| imperative sing. | ren | |||
| imperative plur.1 | rent | |||
| participles | rennend | gerend | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
rennen
From a merger of transitive / causative Old High German rennan (“to make something run or flow”) (from Proto-Germanic *rannijaną), and intransitive Old High German rinnan (“to run or flow”) (from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną). A similar development of merging roots can be seen in Dutch rennen and English run as well.
rennen (irregular weak, third-person singular present rennt, past tense rannte, past participle gerannt, past subjunctive rennte, auxiliary haben or sein)
Although laufen is used more frequently than rennen in the sense of to run, the latter is often used to describe running fast or to an excessive degree, like a hunting animal or a sprinter does.
As a result of the merger of Old High German rinnan and rennan, the verb does follow the same ablaut-pattern as kennen but has regular endings in its preterite and past participle like other weak conjugated verbs.
| infinitive | rennen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | rennend | ||||
| past participle | gerannt | ||||
| auxiliary | haben or sein | ||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||
| singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
| present | ich renne | wir rennen | i | ich renne | wir rennen |
| du rennst | ihr rennt | du rennest | ihr rennet | ||
| er rennt | sie rennen | er renne | sie rennen | ||
| preterite | ich rannte | wir rannten | ii | ich rennte1 | wir rennten1 |
| du ranntest | ihr ranntet | du renntest1 | ihr renntet1 | ||
| er rannte | sie rannten | er rennte1 | sie rennten1 | ||
| imperative | renn (du) renne (du) |
rennt (ihr) | |||
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.
rennen
Cognate with German rennen, Dutch rennen, English run.
rennen (third-person singular present rennt, past participle gerannt, auxiliary verb sinn)
| Regular | ||
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | rennen | |
| participle | gerannt | |
| auxiliary | sinn | |
| present indicative |
imperative | |
| 1st singular | rennen | — |
| 2nd singular | renns | renn |
| 3rd singular | rennt | — |
| 1st plural | rennen | — |
| 2nd plural | rennt | rennt |
| 3rd plural | rennen | — |
| (n) or (nn) indicates the Eifeler Regel. | ||
From Old English rinnan, with variants from irnan, iernan, from Proto-West Germanic *rinnan, from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną (“to flow, run”).
rennen (third-person singular simple present renneth, present participle renninge, first-/third-person singular past indicative ran, past participle runne)
From Old English ærnan and Old Norse, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *rannijaną (“to cause to run, flow”). Compare Middle Dutch rennen (“to run, ride fast”).
rennen (third-person singular simple present renneth, present participle rennende, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle rende)