lesen

to read

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I lese
du you (informal) liest
er/sie/es he/she/it liest
wir we lesen
ihr you all (informal) lest
sie/Sie they/you (formal) lesen
Er liest eine E-Mail.
He reads an email.

How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I las
du you (informal) last
er/sie/es he/she/it las
wir we lasen
ihr you all (informal) last
sie/Sie they/you (formal) lasen
Er las den Brief sehr schnell.
He read the letter very quickly.

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How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Present Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Past Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Future Tense

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

How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I lese
du you (informal) lesest
er/sie/es he/she/it lese
wir we lesen
ihr you all (informal) leset
sie/Sie they/you (formal) lesen
Sie sagt, er lese den Brief.
She says he is reading the letter.

How to Conjugate "lesen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I läse
du you (informal) läsest
er/sie/es he/she/it läse
wir we läsen
ihr you all (informal) läset
sie/Sie they/you (formal) läsen
Er läse gern die Zeitung.
He would like to read the newspaper.

Frequently Asked Questions About "lesen"

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

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