backen

to bake

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "backen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I backe
du you (informal) bäckst
er/sie/es he/she/it bäckt
wir we backen
ihr you all (informal) backt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) backen
Sie bäckt Plätzchen für Weihnachten.
She is baking cookies for Christmas.

How to Conjugate "backen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I buk
du you (informal) bukst
er/sie/es he/she/it buk
wir we buken
ihr you all (informal) bukt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) buken
Er buk Kekse für die Kinder.
He baked cookies for the children.

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How to Conjugate "backen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe gebacken
du you (informal) hast gebacken
er/sie/es he/she/it hat gebacken
wir we haben gebacken
ihr you all (informal) habt gebacken
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben gebacken
Er hat Kekse gebacken.
He has baked cookies.

How to Conjugate "backen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte gebacken
du you (informal) hattest gebacken
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte gebacken
wir we hatten gebacken
ihr you all (informal) hattet gebacken
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten gebacken
Er hatte Kekse gebacken.
He had baked cookies.

How to Conjugate "backen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde backen
du you (informal) wirst backen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird backen
wir we werden backen
ihr you all (informal) werdet backen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden backen
Sie wird Kekse backen.
She will bake cookies.

How to Conjugate "backen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I backe
du you (informal) backest
er/sie/es he/she/it backe
wir we backen
ihr you all (informal) backet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) backen
Er sagt, er backe einen Kuchen.
He says he bakes a cake.

How to Conjugate "backen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I büke
du you (informal) bükest
er/sie/es he/she/it büke
wir we büken
ihr you all (informal) büket
sie/Sie they/you (formal) büken
Er büke die Kekse.
He would bake the cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions About "backen"

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

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