Conjugations › German › behalten

behalten

to keep

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

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Present Simple Past Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Subjunctive I Subjunctive II

How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I behalte
du you (informal) behältst
er/sie/es he/she/it behält
wir we behalten
ihr you all (informal) behaltet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) behalten
Er behält die Ruhe im Stress.
He keeps calm under stress.

How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I behielt
du you (informal) behieltest
er/sie/es he/she/it behielt
wir we behielten
ihr you all (informal) behieltet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) behielten
Er behielt seine Meinung für sich.
He kept his opinion to himself.

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How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe behalten
du you (informal) hast behalten
er/sie/es he/she/it hat behalten
wir we haben behalten
ihr you all (informal) habt behalten
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben behalten
Er hat den Schlüssel behalten.
He has kept the key.

How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte behalten
du you (informal) hattest behalten
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte behalten
wir we hatten behalten
ihr you all (informal) hattet behalten
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten behalten
Er hatte den Schlüssel behalten.
He had kept the key.

How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde behalten
du you (informal) wirst behalten
er/sie/es he/she/it wird behalten
wir we werden behalten
ihr you all (informal) werdet behalten
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden behalten
Er wird den Schlüssel behalten.
He will keep the key.

How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I behalte
du you (informal) behaltest
er/sie/es he/she/it behalte
wir we behalten
ihr you all (informal) behaltet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) behalten
Sie sagt, er behalte den Schlüssel.
She says he keeps the key.

How to Conjugate "behalten" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I behielte
du you (informal) behieltest
er/sie/es he/she/it behielte
wir we behielten
ihr you all (informal) behieltet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) behielten
Er behielte den Schlüssel gern heute.
He would like to keep the key today.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "behalten"

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

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