From planning trips to telling stories and chatting over coffee, everyday communication in German requires you to use the past, present, and future forms of the German tenses.
Get an overview of the German tenses and moods starting with the most common forms you’ll need to know, along with links to more in-depth explanations if you’re ready to go deeper into certain tenses or moods.
Table of Contents
What are the German verb tenses?
Verb tenses in the German language are used to help people communicate and understand when an event or action occurred or will occur. They work alongside the German cases to give structure and clarity to your expressions.
Each German tense conjugates verbs uniquely, altering their spelling to make it clear which tense is being used.
In total, there are three simple German tenses and three perfect German tenses. It’s best to start with Präsens (simple present) and Perfekt (present perfect) as you’ll be using these the most.
The six German tenses are:
- Präsens (simple present)
- Perfekt (present perfect)
- Präteritum (simple past)
- Plusquamperfekt (past perfect)
- Futur I (simple future)
- Futur II (future perfect)
How German verb conjugation works
In German, your verb endings must agree with the subject of your sentence. This process of changing your verb ending according to the subject of your sentence is known as conjugating.
German conjugation is a two-step process:
1. First, find the verb stem of your chosen verb, typically by removing the verb’s -e or -en ending.
2. Then, add a new ending to your verb stem according to the tense and mood your sentence is in.
For example, the verb stem of brauchen (to need) is brauch-. We removed the -en ending from the verb (step one), and now it’s ready to take on a new verb ending according to subject, mood, and tense (step two).
What are German moods and how do they differ from verb tenses?
German moods affect the form of verbs just like tenses do, but what is a mood? In German, moods affect verb conjugation to show the attitude of a speaker in relation to what is being said. In contrast, tenses describe when something occurred.
But why does it matter what the speaker’s attitude is? The intent behind the message is what’s made clear here. Is the speaker trying to:
- Communicate a fact or describe reality?
- Report what someone else said?
- Describe a hypothetical or nonreality?
- Give a command, warning, or advice?
These are the questions that are answered for the listener when the German moods are properly applied to your sentences.
There are four moods you can use to communicate in German:
- der Indikativ = the indicative mood
- der Konjunktiv II = the subjunctive II mood
- der Konjunktiv I = the subjunctive I mood
- der Imperativ = the imperative mood
Indikativ: The indicative mood
The Indikativ (German indicative mood) is used to convey information as true or factual and to ask direct questions. In short, it communicates or asks for information directly.
Daily German conversation, writing, and simple statements are in the Indikativ, such as:
- Das Mädchen liest. = The girl reads.
- Er isst Reis. = He eats rice.
As the most commonly used mood, the German indicative can be used with any verb tense and has relatively few rules in German grammar, making it an excellent starting point when learning tenses and moods.
Indikativ Präsens
Indikativ Präsens (simple present, indicative mood) is the German present tense used to describe the here and now. It also combines the two English present tenses (the simple present and present progressive), so you’ll use the Indikativ Präsens to say both “he eats rice” and “he is eating rice.”
- Ich lerne Deutsch. = I am learning German.
- Wir arbeiten heute viel. = We are working a lot today.
- Er fährt mit dem Bus. = He travels by bus.
Indikativ Präsens conjugation
To conjugate verbs in the Indikativ Präsens, start by finding the verb stem of your chosen verb. This is done by finding its base, infinitive form and removing the -e or -en ending. Then, you simply conjugate your verb (add the applicable ending) according to your subject, as shown in the table below.
| German Subject Pronoun | Verb Endings for Conjugation | Example with Brauchen (to need) |
| ich I | -e | brauche |
| du you (informal singular) | -st | brauchst |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | -t | braucht |
| wir we | -en | brauchen |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | -t | braucht |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | -en | brauchen |
Keep in mind that for nouns like “the tree” or “Beth,” you’ll treat them as though they were er/sie/es (he/she/it) for the purposes of selecting a new verb ending in conjugation.
Word order for sentences in Indikativ Präsens
Follow this simple German word order to write your first sentences in Indikativ Präsens:
[subject] + [verb, conjugated] + [additional information]
Indikativ Perfekt
Don’t be fooled! While Indikative Perfekt is the “present” perfect tense in the indicative mood, it is the most common way Germans talk about real actions completed in the past.
To put it simply, use the present perfect instead of the simple past to talk about the past in German for daily conversation.
- Es hat stark geregnet. = It has been raining heavily.
- Sie haben das Spiel gewonnen. = They have won the game.
- Wir sind früh angekommen. = We have arrived early.
Forming and conjugating the Indikativ Perfekt
To form the Indikativ Perfekt tense, you’ll select an auxiliary verb (sein or haben) and conjugate it according to the Indikativ Präsens conjugation pattern. Then, you’ll move your main verb to the end of the sentence in its Partizip II (past participle) form.
Keep in mind that the auxiliary verb you choose will change the spelling of the verb stem depending on your subject. You can choose either sein (to be) for main verbs that imply movement or change of being, or haben (to have) for any other main verb.
| German Subject Pronoun | Haben Conjugation | Sein Conjugation |
| ich I | habe | bin |
| du you (informal singular) | hast | bist |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | hat | ist |
| wir we | haben | sind |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | habt | seid |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | haben | sind |
Tips for forming past participles
To form a past participle in German, start by selecting a regular German verb like sagen (to say) or lernen (to learn).
Take the stem of that verb (usually the part with the -en ending removed) and put it through the formula below:
- ge- + [verb stem] + -en or -t
Here are a few examples of how this principle works in action:
- sagen (verb) → sag (verb stem) → gesagt (past participle)
- kommen (verb) → komm (verb stem) → gekommen (past participle)
- lernen (verb) → lern (verb stem) → gelernt (past participle)
Word order for sentences in Indikativ Perfekt
The word order for your sentences in the Perfekt tense will look like this:
[subject] + [auxiliary verb, conjugated] + [additional info] + [past participle]
Indikativ Präteritum
Indikativ Präteritum (simple past tense, indicative mood) expresses events that have already occurred before the present moment, like saying “he walked there” in English as opposed to the present tense “he walks there.”
- Sie spielten letzte Woche Fußball. = You played soccer last week.
- Ich war gestern sehr müde. = I was very tired yesterday.
- Er las ein spannendes Buch. = He read an exciting book.
Though the simple German past tense is rarely used in speech, you’ll see it show up in academic writing, journalism, novels, and sometimes formal business emails, but it would seem out of place in a text to your friend or personal email.
Indikativ Präteritum conjugation
Conjugation for Indikativ Präteritum verbs is a similar process to Indikativ Präsens (simple present tense, indicative mood) in that you start by finding your verb stem by removing the verb’s -e or -en ending.
However, you’ll conjugate the verb ending you add according to the Indikativ Präteritum conjugation pattern.
| German Subject Pronoun | Machen (to do/make) Conjugation | Lernen (to learn) Conjugation | Arbeiten (to work) Conjugation |
| ich I | machte | lernte | arbeitete |
| du you (informal singular) | machtest | lerntest | arbeitetest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | machte | lernte | arbeitete |
| wir we | machten | lernten | arbeiteten |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | machtet | lerntet | arbeitetet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | machten | lernten | arbeiteten |
Indikativ Futur I
Whether you want to make real plans with friends, talk about the future, or simply discuss what will happen, you’ll use the Indikativ Futur I (simple future tense, indicative mood).
- Du wirst bald ankommen. = You will arrive soon.
- Ich werde Deutsch sprechen. = I will speak German.
- Er wird den Brief morgen schreiben. = He will write the letter tomorrow.
Forming and conjugating Indikativ Futur I
To form the simple German future tense, you’ll have to adjust your sentence word order. This time, you’ll place a conjugated form of werden (will) after the subject of your sentence and kick your main verb all the way to the end of the sentence.
[subject] + [werden, conjugated] + [additional info] + [verb infinitive at the end]
Remember that your main verb, which is now at the end of the sentence, will be in its infinitive form. In most cases, this infinitive verb will end in -en.
| German Subject Pronoun | Werden Conjugation |
| ich I | werde |
| du you (informal singular) | wirst |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | wird |
| wir we | werden |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | werdet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal) | werden |
Advanced German Tenses in Indikativ
While most everyday conversations and writings in the German Indikativ (indicative mood) rely on the simple tenses and Perfekt (present perfect tense), the mood can be used in combination with the remaining two German perfect tenses.
These are best left for, when you feel confident using the more practical and easier-to-form tenses.
Indikativ Plusquamperfekt
If you want to describe something that happened before another event or time in the past, then you’ll use the Indikativ Plusquamperfekt (past perfect tense, indicative mood).
In the same way that simple past sentence structure is similar to simple present (except for how you conjugate your verb), the German perfect tense for the past has the same sentence structure as the present perfect except for how your auxiliary verb is conjugated.
Indikativ Futur II
Rounding out the six German tenses of verbs, Indikativ Futur II (future perfect tense, indicative mood) communicates that an action will be completed by a certain future point in time. In English, we often use the verb phrase “will have.”
Konjunktiv: The subjunctive mood
Konjunktiv is the German subjunctive mood, used to share information about things that aren’t necessarily thought of as straightforward facts by the speaker. You can use this German mood to communicate what someone else said, hypothetical scenarios, wishes, polite requests, or unreal situations.
Konjunktiv is split into two categories, each with its own special usage:
- Konjunktiv II (subjunctive II)
- Konjunktiv I (subjunctive I)
Konjunktiv II is used to express hypothetical scenarios, unreal conditions, wishes, and polite requests. Either way, you’re delivering information that, to you, is not a direct fact or reality. Konjunktiv I is used to report what someone else said, or for indirect speech.
Konjunktiv II mood
For communicating nonrealities, like hypotheticals, wishes, and polite requests, Konjunktiv II (subjunctive II) is the German mood to use.
You can apply Konjunktiv II to any German verb tense, but for past hypothetical events you’ll use Perfekt (present perfect tense) instead of Präteritum (simple past tense) or Plusquamperfekt (past perfect tense).
Forming and conjugating verbs in Konjunktiv II
Verbs are formed in Konjunktiv II by taking your main verb’s Präteritum (simple past) verb stem, often adding an umlaut to that stem, and adding a subjunctive ending based on the subject of the sentence. This is how verbs in Konjunktiv II are formed:
- [Präteritum (simple past) stem] + [umlaut (if applicable)] + [Konjunktiv II ending]
| German Subject | Konjunktiv II Haben Conjugation | Konjunktiv II Werden Conjugation | Konjunktiv II Sein Conjugation |
| ich I | hätte | würde | wäre |
| du you (informal singular) | hättest | würdest | wärest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | hätte | würde | wäre |
| wir we | hätten | würden | wären |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | hättet | würdet | wäret |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal singular and plural) | hätten | würden | wären |
Konjunktiv II Präsens
You can describe a hypothetical event as it would be in the present moment in German with Konjunktiv II Präsens (simple present tense, subjunctive II mood). This mood-tense combination does not exist in English. Instead, you’d typically use the “would + verb” sentence construction.
- Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee. = I would like a coffee.
- Er fände die Lösung schnell. = He would find the solution quickly.
Because the conjugation pattern in this tense sounds similar to others, Germans are less likely to use this tense to describe hypothetical situations. They would opt instead for a simple future tense, subjunctive II mood expression using würde (would) and an infinitive main verb. However, for some common verbs, auxiliary verbs, and modal verbs, Germans still use this tense to describe present unrealities.
Conjugation and word order for Konjunktiv II Präsens
Simply conjugate your main verb to the Konjunktiv II conjugation pattern and follow the subject-verb-object sentence structure.
[subject] + [verb, Konjunktiv II conjugated] + [objects/additional info]
Konjunktiv II Perfekt
Konjunktiv II Perfekt (present perfect tense, subjunctive II mood) is by far the most common way Germans describe hypothetical situations in the past.
- Ich hätte das Buch gelesen. = I would have read the book.
- Wir wären nach Hause gegangen. = We would have gone home.
The best part? The only difference between Konjunktiv II Perfekt and Indikativ Perfekt (present perfect tense, indicative mood) is the conjugation of the auxiliary verb, which you’ll conjugate according to the Konjunktiv II conjugation pattern.
[subject] + [hätte/wäre, Konjunktiv II conjugated] + [objects/additional info] + [past participle]
Konjunktiv II Futur I
Germans most commonly describe hypothetical situations with Konjunktiv II Futur I (simple future tense, subjunctive mood). This tense describes what “would” be, but isn’t currently the case.
- Wenn ich mehr zeit hätte, würde ich öfter reisen. = If I had more time, then I would travel more often.
- Wenn sie früher aufstünde, würde sie den Bus erreichen. = If she got up earlier, she would catch the bus.
Since this tense describes what “would” be, it typically appears with an “if” clause that introduces the future hypothetical situation. Imagine it like saying “I would go if I had more time.”
You’ll typically start off such an expression with a conditional opener like wenn (if). The first clause will end with your Konjunktiv II conjugated verb, and the next clause will start with würden (would) with the main verb at the end in its infinitive form.
Konjunktiv II Futur I word order
Here’s what the word order of a Konjunktiv II Futur I sentence would look like:
[conditional opener] + [subject 1] + objects/additional info] + [verb 1, Konjunktiv II conjugated] + [comma] + [würden, Konjunktiv II conjugated] + [subject 2] + [objects/additional info] + [verb 2, infinitive form]
Advanced German tenses in the Konjunktiv II mood
Outside of the practical, everyday tenses described above for Konjunktiv II (subjunctive II mood), there are advanced combinations of this mood and other tenses. You can start to look deeper into the combinations below once you’re more comfortable with forming expressions in German.
Konjunktiv II Präteritum
Though it is technically possible to apply Konjunktiv II (subjunctive II mood) to Präteritum (simple past tense) to describe a past hypothetical, the verb forms would look identical to those from Konjunktiv II Präsens (simple present tense, subjunctive II mood).
For this reason, Germans do not use this tense and opt for Konjunktiv II Perfekt (present perfect tense, subjunctive II mood) instead.
Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt
You can describe that a hypothetical situation would be completed in the past by another point in the past with Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt (past perfect tense, subjunctive II mood).
Due to the more demanding grammatical challenges this tense presents, you’re most likely to hear it used in formal settings than around friends.
Konjunktiv II Futur II
Use Konjunktiv II Futur II (future perfect tense, subjunctive II mood) to describe an action that would have been completed in the future by another point in the future under hypothetical circumstances.
Given the more demanding grammatical rules this tense presents, it’s more appropriate for the office or out at a fancy establishment for an evening than it is around the dinner table or with friends.
Konjunktiv I mood
Primarily used in journalism, Konjunktiv I (subjunctive I mood) is a German mood used to report what another person said, says, or will say, like telling your dad that your mom said “I love you.”
You can apply Konjunktiv I to any tense, but how you conjugate your verb ending will follow the same Konjunktiv I pattern in each tense. This conjugation will apply to your main verb in the simple tenses and applies to your auxiliary verb in the perfect tenses.
Konjunktiv I shows information this way by including a reporting clause like Er sagt (he said) and conjugating your verb according to the Konjunktiv I conjugation pattern. This involves finding the verb stem of your chosen verb, usually by removing its -e or -en ending and adding a new ending based on the table below.
| German Subject | Konjunktiv I Verb Endings | Example with Lernen (to learn) |
| ich I | -e | lerne |
| du you (informal singular) | -est | lernest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | -e | lerne |
| wir we | -en | lernen |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | -et | lernet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal singular and plural) | -en | lernen |
Konjunktiv I Präsens
To describe that someone else said or wrote something in the context of the present moment, combine Konjunktiv I (subjunctive I mood) to Präsens (simple present tense).
- Er sagt, er habe keine Zeit. = He says he has no time.
- Sie behauptet, die Firma eröffne eine neue Filiale. = She claims that the company is opening a new branch.
Forming Konjunktiv I Präsens: Conjugation and word order
Sentence word order in Konjunktiv I Präsens looks very similar to Indikativ Präsens (simple present tense, indicative mood), but with two changes:
- Add a reporting clause such as er sagt (he says), followed by a comma, at the start of your sentence.
- Conjugate your verb in the main clause according to the Konjunktiv I conjugation pattern.
Here’s what the word order of a Konjunktiv I Präsens sentence would look like:
[reporting clause] + [comma] + [subject] + [verb, Konjunktiv I conjugated] + [objects/additional info]
Konjunktiv I Perfekt
The most common way you’ll describe what someone else says or writes about an event in the past is with Konjunktiv I Perfekt (present perfect tense, subjunctive I mood).
- Er sagt, er habe das Buch gelesen. = He says he has read the book.
- Die Zeugin erklärt, sie sei früh angekommen. = The witness explains that she has arrived early.
Forming Konjunktiv I Perfekt: Conjugation and word order
Because Perfekt is a perfect German tense, you’ll apply the Konjunktiv I conjugation pattern to your auxiliary verb, which is either haben (to have) or sein (to be), instead of the main verb of the sentence.
| German Subject | Konjunktiv I Haben Conjugation | Konjunktiv I Sein Conjugation |
| ich I | habe | sei |
| du you (informal singular) | habest | seiest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | habe | sei |
| wir we | haben | seien |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | habet | seiet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal singular and plural) | haben | seien |
For sentences in the Konjunktiv I Perfekt, the main verb will be split from the auxiliary verb and moved to the end of the sentence in its Partizip II form.
You’ll still add a reporting clause to the beginning, as with any Konjunktiv I sentence. Here’s what the sentence word order would look like:
[reporting clause] + [comma] + [subject] + [haben/sein, Konjunktiv I conjugated] + [objects/additional info] + [past participle]
Konjunktiv I Futur I
Konjunktiv I Futur I (simple future tense, subjunctive I mood) describes that someone else says something will happen in the future.
- Sie behauptet, sie werde das Projekt beenden. = She claims she will finish the report.
- Die Ministerin erklärt, die Regierung werde die Steuern senken. = The minister explains that the government will lower taxes.
Forming Konjunktiv I Futur I: Conjugation and word order
Since you’re using a simple tense here, you’ll simply add a reporting clause to the start of the sentence and conjugate werden (will) according to the Konjunktiv I conjugation pattern.
| German Subject | Konjunktiv I Werden Conjugation |
| ich I | werde |
| du you (informal singular) | werdest |
| er/sie/es he/she/it | werde |
| wir we | werden |
| ihr you all (informal plural) | werdet |
| sie/Sie they/you (formal singular and plural) | werden |
Your main verb will be placed at the end of the expression in its infinitive form, usually meaning the verb form with an -e or -en ending.
[reporting clause] + [comma] + [subject] + [werden, Konjunktiv I conjugated] + [objects/additional info] + [main verb, infinitive form]
Advanced German tenses in the Konjunktiv I mood
Generally, you’ll only hear and read Konjunktiv I with the present German tenses and Futur I (simple future tense). However, you can theoretically apply this mood to any German tense.
For the past tenses in German and for Futur II (future perfect tense), you’re better off waiting to study them in combination with Konjunktiv I until you feel confident in everyday applications of this mood.
Konjunktiv I Präteritum
Though highly uncommon in German speech and writing, you can describe what someone else says happened in the past with Konjunktiv I Präteritum (simple past tense, subjunctive I mood).
Because the verb conjugations for Konjunktiv I Präteritum look identical to those from Indikativ Präteritum, Germans talk about reported speech over past events using Konjunktiv I Perfekt instead to make it completely clear which tense and mood is being used and avoid conflating the two verb moods.
Konjunktiv I Plusquamperfekt
You can talk about reported speech regarding an event that occurred in the past before another event in the past with Konjunktiv I Plusquamperfekt (past perfect tense, subjunctive I mood). Imagine it like saying “My coworker says he had completed the project before the deadline.”
Since there are a few more grammatical rules to consider while forming sentences in Konjunktiv I Plusquamperfekt, you’ll generally only use it in formal situations like the professional world or in academia.
Konjunktiv I Futur II
Common only in formal contexts due to its grammatical involvement, Konjunktiv I Futur II (future perfect tense, subjunctive I mood) reports that someone else says something will be done in the future by another point in the future.
Imperativ: The imperative mood
The Imperativ (German imperative mood) is a commonly used German mood that gives a command, direction, advice, or warning to the listener.
Imperativ Präsens
This mood can only practically be applied to Präsens (simple present tense), so there are fewer time contexts to cover while learning the Imperativ.
- Komm schnell! = Come quickly!
- Warten Sie einen Moment. = Wait for a moment.
- Gehen wir nach Hause! = Let’s go home!
There are four imperative verb forms in the German language, which are based on the subject pronoun:
- du (you, informal singular)
- ihr (you, informal plural)
- Sie (you, formal singular and plural)
- wir (let’s)
These act as the “persons” at whom you can direct an Imperativ Präsens sentence in German. Each form has its own formula for forming the main verb of your sentence.
| Person | Imperative Verb Formula | Verb Examples |
| du you (informal singular) | Present-tense du form minus -st ending | Mach! Komm! Lies! |
| ihr you (informal plural) | present-tense ihr form | Macht! Kommt! Lest! |
| Sie you (formal singular and plural) | infinitive + Sie | Machen Sie! Kommen Sie! |
| wir let’s | infinitive + wir | Machen wir! Gehen wir! |
The Imperativ Präsens sentence structure is easy to master. Simply place your verb, as dictated in the table above, first, followed by the rest of the information in your expression. Objects and adverbs will be placed last in the sentence.
Key takeaways about German tenses and moods
German and English both use tenses and moods to clarify what is being said in a sentence by changing the form of the verb being used.
- German verbs undergo conjugation according to subject, mood, and tense, which changes the verb’s spelling, known as its form.
- There are six verb tenses in German that alter verb forms and sentence structure to communicate when something happened, happens, or will happen.
- The three main moods in the German language affect verb forms and sentence structure to show the attitude or intent of the speaker with regard to what is being said.
- Start with the German simple present tense and indicative mood if you’re a new learner and branch out from there for the best learning experience.
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