verb
to help, to assist
A1
helfen: verb meaning to help or assist. Strong irregular verb with present stem change e→i (du hilfst, er hilft); perfect participle geholfen; auxiliary haben. Important: it governs the dative (jemandem helfen = to help someone). Non‑reflexive. No special preposition required; common in many contexts.
Examples
Die Krankenschwester hilft dem Patienten.
The nurse is assisting the patient.
Kannst du mir bitte helfen?
Can you please help me?
Ich habe ihm geholfen.
I helped him.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a hand reaching out to help — helfen
Sounds like English 'help in' — think 'help + en'
Notes
Strong irregular verb: du/er forms change vowel (du hilfst, er hilft). Uses 'haben' in perfect. Dative object: helfen + dative. | Intransitive verb; passive voice conjugations are generally not applicable.