Antworten in the Present (Präsens) Tense in German
Introduction
Antworten means “to answer”, and this page covers exactly one thing: antworten in the present tense. The present is the tense German speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for antworten, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about antworten in the present. For example: “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.” Everything on this page uses the forms of antworten exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Antworten in the Present (Präsens) Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | antworte |
| du | antwortest |
| er/sie/es | antwortet |
| wir | antworten |
| ihr | antwortet |
| sie/Sie | antworten |
Present participle: antwortend · Past participle: geantwortet
The present participle is antwortend, which you use as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle is geantwortet, which you use with haben in the perfect tenses: the ich form of the Perfekt is habe geantwortet, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how antworten is used.
How the present of antworten is formed
The present of antworten follows the regular weak pattern: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich antworte, du antwortest, er/sie/es antwortet, wir antworten, ihr antwortet, sie/Sie antworten. The wir and ihr forms are the ones learners most often get wrong, because they expect a change that is not there — learn the six forms as two groups, the singular forms and the plural forms, and the pattern becomes automatic. The stem never changes in the present for this verb, so the only work is the endings.
The present stem also feeds other tenses: the preterite and Konjunktiv II are built from the same stem family, so learning the present properly makes the rest of the conjugation easier. The participles antwortend and geantwortet belong to the same family of forms — learn them together with the present table and you will recognise antworten in every tense.
When to use the present of antworten
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use antworten in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. To answer the question — the everyday use
The most everyday use of antworten is the question. It covers the ordinary, everyday situations where this verb appears, at home and outside. Example: “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.”
2. To answer my teacher immediately — a second everyday use
Antworten also covers my teacher immediately. This use is very common in everyday speech, and it is the one learners meet next after the first. Example: “Du antwortest meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You answer my teacher immediately.”
3. To answer with a smile — a third everyday use
In a third everyday situation, you use antworten for with a smile. The same verb, the same present forms, a different situation — that is why the present is worth learning as a whole table rather than one form at a time. Example: “Er antwortet mit einem Lächeln.” — “He answers with a smile.”
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and antworten is no exception. Use time expressions such as jeden Tag, immer or jede Woche to make the routine explicit. Example: “Wir antworten auf die Frage.” — “We answer the question.”
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. German often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with antworten in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Ihr antwortet meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You answer my teacher immediately.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the preterite describes a finished action in the past, while the present describes habits and facts that are true now. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as jeden Tag, while the preterite sentences use gestern. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present (Präsens): “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.”
Preterite: “Ich antwortete auf die Frage.” — “I answered the question.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Du antwortest meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You answer my teacher immediately.”
Preterite: “Du antwortetest meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You answered my teacher immediately.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Wir antworten mit einem Lächeln.” — “We answer with a smile.”
Preterite: “Wir antworteten mit einem Lächeln.” — “We answered with a smile.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: antworten in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other words — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Ich antworte meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “I answer my teacher immediately.”
“Du antwortest mit einem Lächeln.” — “You answer with a smile.”
“Er antwortet auf die Frage.” — “He answers the question.”
“Wir antworten meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “We answer my teacher immediately.”
“Ihr antwortet mit einem Lächeln.” — “You answer with a smile.”
“Sie antworten auf die Frage.” — “They answer the question.”
“Ich antworte meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “I answer my teacher immediately.”
“Du antwortest mit einem Lächeln.” — “You answer with a smile.”
Common mistakes with antworten in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Ich antworten auf die Frage.” Right: “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” Why: The ich form is antworte, not antworten. Antworten belongs with sie. Mixing the two groups is the most common error with this verb.
Wrong: “Wir antworten auf die Frage.” Right: “Wir antworten auf die Frage.” Why: Wir keeps its own form: antworten, not antworten. Learn wir and ihr as a separate pair from the singular forms.
Wrong: “Ich antworten auf die Frage.” (infinitive with a subject) Right: “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” Why: The infinitive antworten never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form antworte.
Wrong: “Ich antworte auf die Frage gestern.” (a finished past action) Right: “Ich habe auf die Frage geantwortet.” Why: The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe geantwortet, not the present antworte.
Quiz: antworten in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
What is the ich form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antworte
- B) antwortest
- C) antwortet
- D) antworten
What is the du form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antworten
- B) antwortest
- C) antworte
- D) antwortet
What is the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antwortet
- B) antworte
- C) antwortest
- D) antworten
What is the wir form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antwortest
- B) antwortet
- C) antworten
- D) antworte
What is the ihr form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antwortet
- B) antworte
- C) antwortest
- D) antworten
What is the sie/Sie form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antwortest
- B) antwortet
- C) antworten
- D) antworte
7. What does antworten mean in English?
- A) to study
- B) to answer
- C) to help
- D) to learn
8. What is the past participle of antworten?
- A) geantwortet
- B) geholfen
- C) gelernt
- D) studiert
Answer key
- A) antworte — The ich form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antworte.
- B) antwortest — The du form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antwortest.
- A) antwortet — The er/sie/es form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antwortet.
- C) antworten — The wir form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antworten.
- A) antwortet — The ihr form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antwortet.
- C) antworten — The sie/Sie form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antworten.
- B) to answer — antworten means “to answer”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
- A) geantwortet — The past participle of antworten is geantwortet; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses, while the present tense itself is formed from the stem plus the present endings.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present of antworten formed?
The present of antworten is regular: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich antworte, du antwortest, er antwortet, wir antworten, ihr antwortet, sie antworten.
When do I use the present of antworten?
Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now — for example, “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.” For a finished past action, use the Perfekt instead.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of antworten?
The present describes what is true now or happens regularly; the preterite describes one finished action in the past. Compare “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” with “Ich antwortete auf die Frage.” — the first is now, the second is the past as a finished event.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for antworten, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of antworten — every tense of antworten in one place.
- Antworten in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Antworten examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Helfen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Lernen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Studieren conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise antworten with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise antworten with the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise antworten with the interactive tool.