Conjugations › German › heißen

heißen

to be called

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

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

How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I heiße
du you (informal) heißt
er/sie/es he/she/it heißt
wir we heißen
ihr you all (informal) heißt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) heißen
Er heißt Markus von Beruf.
His name is Markus by profession.

How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I hieß
du you (informal) hießt
er/sie/es he/she/it hieß
wir we hießen
ihr you all (informal) hießt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hießen
Er hieß wie sein Großvater.
He was called like his grandfather.

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How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe geheißen
du you (informal) hast geheißen
er/sie/es he/she/it hat geheißen
wir we haben geheißen
ihr you all (informal) habt geheißen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben geheißen
Er hat früher anders geheißen.
He was called something else before.

How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte geheißen
du you (informal) hattest geheißen
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte geheißen
wir we hatten geheißen
ihr you all (informal) hattet geheißen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten geheißen
Er hatte im Buch anders geheißen.
He had been called differently in the book.

How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde heißen
du you (informal) wirst heißen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird heißen
wir we werden heißen
ihr you all (informal) werdet heißen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden heißen
Er wird wie sein Vater heißen.
He will be called like his father.

How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I heiße
du you (informal) heißest
er/sie/es he/she/it heiße
wir we heißen
ihr you all (informal) heißet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) heißen
Er sagt, er heiße Klaus.
He says he is called Klaus.

How to Conjugate "heißen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I hieße
du you (informal) hießest
er/sie/es he/she/it hieße
wir we hießen
ihr you all (informal) hießet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hießen
Er hieße gern wie sein Vater.
He would like to be called like his father.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "heißen"

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

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