leben

to live

German Regular

The German verb "leben" means "to live" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "leben" across all 7 tenses.

How to Conjugate "leben" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I lebe
du you (informal) lebst
er/sie/es he/she/it lebt
wir we leben
ihr you all (informal) lebt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) leben
Er lebt sehr gesund.
He lives very healthily.

How to Conjugate "leben" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I lebte
du you (informal) lebtest
er/sie/es he/she/it lebte
wir we lebten
ihr you all (informal) lebtet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) lebten
Er lebte in einem kleinen Dorf.
He lived in a small village.

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How to Conjugate "leben" in the Present Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "leben" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte gelebt
du you (informal) hattest gelebt
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte gelebt
wir we hatten gelebt
ihr you all (informal) hattet gelebt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten gelebt
Er hatte lange dort gelebt.
He had lived there for a long time.

How to Conjugate "leben" in the Future Tense

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

How to Conjugate "leben" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I lebe
du you (informal) lebest
er/sie/es he/she/it lebe
wir we leben
ihr you all (informal) lebet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) leben
Er sagt, er lebe glücklich hier.
He says he lives happily here.

How to Conjugate "leben" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I lebte
du you (informal) lebtest
er/sie/es he/she/it lebte
wir we lebten
ihr you all (informal) lebtet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) lebten
Er lebte gerne in der Stadt.
He would like to live in the city.

Frequently Asked Questions About "leben"

Is "leben" regular or irregular in German?
"Leben" is a regular German verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "leben" mean in English?
The German verb "leben" means "to live" in English.
How do you conjugate "leben" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → lebe, du → lebst, er/sie/es → lebt, wir → leben, ihr → lebt, sie/Sie → leben.
How many tenses does "leben" have in German?
"Leben" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.

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