schlafen

to sleep

German Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I schlafe
du you (informal) schläfst
er/sie/es he/she/it schläft
wir we schlafen
ihr you all (informal) schlaft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schlafen
Er schläft im Bett.
He sleeps in the bed.

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I schlief
du you (informal) schliefst
er/sie/es he/she/it schlief
wir we schliefen
ihr you all (informal) schlieft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schliefen
Er schlief auf dem Sofa ein.
He fell asleep on the sofa.

Want to actually remember these?

VerbPal drills "schlafen" in real German sentences using spaced repetition.

Try VerbPal Free

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe geschlafen
du you (informal) hast geschlafen
er/sie/es he/she/it hat geschlafen
wir we haben geschlafen
ihr you all (informal) habt geschlafen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben geschlafen
Er hat im Hotel geschlafen.
He has slept in the hotel.

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte geschlafen
du you (informal) hattest geschlafen
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte geschlafen
wir we hatten geschlafen
ihr you all (informal) hattet geschlafen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten geschlafen
Er hatte tief geschlafen.
He had slept deeply.

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde schlafen
du you (informal) wirst schlafen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird schlafen
wir we werden schlafen
ihr you all (informal) werdet schlafen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden schlafen
Er wird im Zelt schlafen.
He will sleep in the tent.

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I schlafe
du you (informal) schlafest
er/sie/es he/she/it schlafe
wir we schlafen
ihr you all (informal) schlafet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schlafen
Er schlafe acht Stunden.
He may sleep eight hours.

How to Conjugate "schlafen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I schliefe
du you (informal) schliefest
er/sie/es he/she/it schliefe
wir we schliefen
ihr you all (informal) schliefet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) schliefen
Er schliefe lieber im Hotel.
He would rather sleep in the hotel.

Frequently Asked Questions About "schlafen"

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

Master German verbs for real

Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.

Try VerbPal Free

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.