Conjugations › German › schaffen

schaffen

to create, to manage

German Irregular
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The German verb "schaffen" means "to create, to manage" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "schaffen" across all 7 tenses.

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Present Simple Past Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Subjunctive I Subjunctive II

How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I schaffe
du you (informal) schaffst
er/sie/es he/she/it schafft
wir we schaffen
ihr you all (informal) schafft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schaffen
Er schafft ein neues Kunstwerk.
He creates a new piece of art.

How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I schuf
du you (informal) schufst
er/sie/es he/she/it schuf
wir we schufen
ihr you all (informal) schuft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schufen
Er schaffte die Arbeit rechtzeitig.
He managed the work on time.

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How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe geschaffen
du you (informal) hast geschaffen
er/sie/es he/she/it hat geschaffen
wir we haben geschaffen
ihr you all (informal) habt geschaffen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben geschaffen
Er hat das Ziel geschafft.
He has reached the goal.

How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Past Perfect Tense

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

How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Future Tense

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

How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I schaffe
du you (informal) schaffest
er/sie/es he/she/it schaffe
wir we schaffen
ihr you all (informal) schaffet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schaffen
Sie sagt, er schaffe das Projekt.
She says he creates the project.

How to Conjugate "schaffen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I schüfe
du you (informal) schüfest
er/sie/es he/she/it schüfe
wir we schüfen
ihr you all (informal) schüfet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schüfen
Er schüfe eine bessere Zukunft hier.
He would create a better future here.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "schaffen"

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

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