greifen

to grab, to grasp

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I greife
du you (informal) greifst
er/sie/es he/she/it greift
wir we greifen
ihr you all (informal) greift
sie/Sie they/you (formal) greifen

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I griff
du you (informal) griffst
er/sie/es he/she/it griff
wir we griffen
ihr you all (informal) grifft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) griffen

Want to actually remember these?

VerbPal drills "greifen" in real German sentences using spaced repetition.

Try VerbPal Free

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe gegriffen
du you (informal) hast gegriffen
er/sie/es he/she/it hat gegriffen
wir we haben gegriffen
ihr you all (informal) habt gegriffen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben gegriffen

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte gegriffen
du you (informal) hattest gegriffen
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte gegriffen
wir we hatten gegriffen
ihr you all (informal) hattet gegriffen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten gegriffen

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Future Tense

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

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I greife
du you (informal) greifest
er/sie/es he/she/it greife
wir we greifen
ihr you all (informal) greifet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) greifen

How to Conjugate "greifen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I griffe
du you (informal) griffest
er/sie/es he/she/it griffe
wir we griffen
ihr you all (informal) griffet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) griffen

Frequently Asked Questions About "greifen"

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

Master German verbs for real

Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.

Try VerbPal Free

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.