helfen

to help

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I helfe
du you (informal) hilfst
er/sie/es he/she/it hilft
wir we helfen
ihr you all (informal) helft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) helfen
Er hilft seiner Mutter.
He helps his mother.

How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I half
du you (informal) halfst
er/sie/es he/she/it half
wir we halfen
ihr you all (informal) halft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) halfen
Er half der alten Dame heute.
He helped the old lady today.

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How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Present Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Past Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Future Tense

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

How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I helfe
du you (informal) helfest
er/sie/es he/she/it helfe
wir we helfen
ihr you all (informal) helfet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) helfen
Er helfe den Armen.
He may help the poor.

How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I hülfe
du you (informal) hülfest
er/sie/es he/she/it hülfe
wir we hülfen
ihr you all (informal) hülfet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hülfen
Er hülfe gern beim Kochen.
He would like to help with cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions About "helfen"

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

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