erfinden

to invent

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I erfinde
du you (informal) erfindest
er/sie/es he/she/it erfindet
wir we erfinden
ihr you all (informal) erfindet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erfinden
Er erfindet ein neues Spiel.
He invents a new game.

How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I erfand
du you (informal) erfandst
er/sie/es he/she/it erfand
wir we erfanden
ihr you all (informal) erfandet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erfanden
Er erfand das Telefon im Labor.
He invented the telephone in the lab.

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How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe erfunden
du you (informal) hast erfunden
er/sie/es he/she/it hat erfunden
wir we haben erfunden
ihr you all (informal) habt erfunden
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben erfunden
Er hat eine Maschine erfunden.
He has invented a machine.

How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Past Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde erfinden
du you (informal) wirst erfinden
er/sie/es he/she/it wird erfinden
wir we werden erfinden
ihr you all (informal) werdet erfinden
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden erfinden
Er wird ein Gerät erfinden.
He will invent a device.

How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I erfinde
du you (informal) erfindest
er/sie/es he/she/it erfinde
wir we erfinden
ihr you all (informal) erfindet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erfinden
Er erfinde etwas Neues.
He may invent something new.

How to Conjugate "erfinden" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I erfände
du you (informal) erfändest
er/sie/es he/she/it erfände
wir we erfänden
ihr you all (informal) erfändet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erfänden
Er erfände eine tolle Lösung.
He would invent a great solution.

Frequently Asked Questions About "erfinden"

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

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