Conjugations › German › wollen

wollen

to want

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

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

How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I will
du you (informal) willst
er/sie/es he/she/it will
wir we wollen
ihr you all (informal) wollt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) wollen
Er will das Buch lesen.
He wants to read the book.

How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I wollte
du you (informal) wolltest
er/sie/es he/she/it wollte
wir we wollten
ihr you all (informal) wolltet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) wollten
Er wollte heute früher nach Hause fahren.
He wanted to drive home earlier today.

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How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe gewollt
du you (informal) hast gewollt
er/sie/es he/she/it hat gewollt
wir we haben gewollt
ihr you all (informal) habt gewollt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben gewollt
Er hat ein Eis essen wollen.
He has wanted to eat an ice cream.

How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte gewollt
du you (informal) hattest gewollt
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte gewollt
wir we hatten gewollt
ihr you all (informal) hattet gewollt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten gewollt
Er hatte nach Hause gehen wollen.
He had wanted to go home.

How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde wollen
du you (informal) wirst wollen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird wollen
wir we werden wollen
ihr you all (informal) werdet wollen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden wollen
Er wird ein Eis essen wollen.
He will want to eat an ice cream.

How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I wolle
du you (informal) wollest
er/sie/es he/she/it wolle
wir we wollen
ihr you all (informal) wollet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) wollen
Er sagt, er wolle nach Hause.
He says he wants to go home.

How to Conjugate "wollen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I wollte
du you (informal) wolltest
er/sie/es he/she/it wollte
wir we wollten
ihr you all (informal) wolltet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) wollten
Er wollte, er könnte besser singen.
He wishes he could sing better.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "wollen"

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

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