anfangen

to start, to begin

German Irregular

The German verb "anfangen" means "to start, to begin" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "anfangen" across all 7 tenses.

How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I fange an
du you (informal) fängst an
er/sie/es he/she/it fängt an
wir we fangen an
ihr you all (informal) fangt an
sie/Sie they/you (formal) fangen an
Er fängt das Spiel an.
He starts the game.

How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I fing an
du you (informal) fingst an
er/sie/es he/she/it fing an
wir we fingen an
ihr you all (informal) fingt an
sie/Sie they/you (formal) fingen an
Er fing das Spiel pünktlich an.
He started the game on time.

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How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe angefangen
du you (informal) hast angefangen
er/sie/es he/she/it hat angefangen
wir we haben angefangen
ihr you all (informal) habt angefangen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben angefangen
Er hat das Buch angefangen.
He has started the book.

How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte angefangen
du you (informal) hattest angefangen
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte angefangen
wir we hatten angefangen
ihr you all (informal) hattet angefangen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten angefangen
Er hatte mit dem Spiel angefangen.
He had started the game.

How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde anfangen
du you (informal) wirst anfangen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird anfangen
wir we werden anfangen
ihr you all (informal) werdet anfangen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden anfangen
Er wird bald anfangen.
He will start soon.

How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I fange an
du you (informal) fangest an
er/sie/es he/she/it fange an
wir we fangen an
ihr you all (informal) fanget an
sie/Sie they/you (formal) fangen an
Er sagt, er fange an.
He says he is starting.

How to Conjugate "anfangen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I finge an
du you (informal) fingest an
er/sie/es he/she/it finge an
wir we fingen an
ihr you all (informal) finget an
sie/Sie they/you (formal) fingen an
Er finge sofort an.
He would start immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions About "anfangen"

Is "anfangen" regular or irregular in German?
"Anfangen" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "anfangen" mean in English?
The German verb "anfangen" means "to start, to begin" in English.
How do you conjugate "anfangen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → fange an, du → fängst an, er/sie/es → fängt an, wir → fangen an, ihr → fangt an, sie/Sie → fangen an.
How many tenses does "anfangen" have in German?
"Anfangen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.

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