rufen

to call

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I rufe
du you (informal) rufst
er/sie/es he/she/it ruft
wir we rufen
ihr you all (informal) ruft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) rufen
Er ruft laut Hilfe.
He calls loudly for help.

How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I rief
du you (informal) riefst
er/sie/es he/she/it rief
wir we riefen
ihr you all (informal) rieft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) riefen
Er rief den Kellner zu uns.
He called the waiter to us.

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How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Present Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Past Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Future Tense

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

How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I rufe
du you (informal) rufest
er/sie/es he/she/it rufe
wir we rufen
ihr you all (informal) rufet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) rufen
Er rufe seine Mutter.
He may call his mother.

How to Conjugate "rufen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I riefe
du you (informal) riefest
er/sie/es he/she/it riefe
wir we riefen
ihr you all (informal) riefet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) riefen
Er riefe gern den Freund an.
He would like to call the friend.

Frequently Asked Questions About "rufen"

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

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