legen

to lay, to put

German Regular

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

How to Conjugate "legen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I lege
du you (informal) legst
er/sie/es he/she/it legt
wir we legen
ihr you all (informal) legt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) legen
Er legt das Handy weg.
He puts the phone away.

How to Conjugate "legen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I legte
du you (informal) legtest
er/sie/es he/she/it legte
wir we legten
ihr you all (informal) legtet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) legten
Er legte sich kurz hin.
He laid down briefly.

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How to Conjugate "legen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe gelegt
du you (informal) hast gelegt
er/sie/es he/she/it hat gelegt
wir we haben gelegt
ihr you all (informal) habt gelegt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben gelegt
Er hat das Handy hingelegt.
He has put the phone down.

How to Conjugate "legen" in the Past Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "legen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde legen
du you (informal) wirst legen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird legen
wir we werden legen
ihr you all (informal) werdet legen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden legen
Er wird den Stift hinlegen.
He will lay the pen down.

How to Conjugate "legen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I lege
du you (informal) legest
er/sie/es he/she/it lege
wir we legen
ihr you all (informal) leget
sie/Sie they/you (formal) legen
Sie sagt, er lege den Brief hier.
She says he puts the letter here.

How to Conjugate "legen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I legte
du you (informal) legtest
er/sie/es he/she/it legte
wir we legten
ihr you all (informal) legtet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) legten
Er legte den Stift auf das Papier.
He would put the pen on the paper.

Frequently Asked Questions About "legen"

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

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