Antworten Conjugation in German
antworten means “to answer” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 50 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.” — and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of antworten — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: antworten
- English: to answer
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Present participle (Partizip I): antwortend
- Past participle (Partizip II): geantwortet
- Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)
- Pattern: weak in the verified tables
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. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read antworten in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about antworten
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary weak pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use haben: the Perfekt is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle geantwortet. The tables on this page give the participle in the form exactly as it appears in the verified dump; the participle itself does not change for person, only the auxiliary does.
- The participles are antwortend and geantwortet: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for antworten. Learn the present tense first, then the Perfekt and the preterite, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present (Präsens)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | antworte |
| du | antwortest |
| er/sie/es | antwortet |
| wir | antworten |
| ihr | antwortet |
| sie/Sie | antworten |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich antworte meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “I answer my teacher immediately.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | antwortete |
| du | antwortetest |
| er/sie/es | antwortete |
| wir | antworteten |
| ihr | antwortetet |
| sie/Sie | antworteten |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du antwortetest meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You answered my teacher immediately.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe geantwortet |
| du | hast geantwortet |
| er/sie/es | hat geantwortet |
| wir | haben geantwortet |
| ihr | habt geantwortet |
| sie/Sie | haben geantwortet |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat meinem Lehrer sofort geantwortet.” — “He has answered my teacher immediately.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte geantwortet |
| du | hattest geantwortet |
| er/sie/es | hatte geantwortet |
| wir | hatten geantwortet |
| ihr | hattet geantwortet |
| sie/Sie | hatten geantwortet |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte meinem Lehrer sofort geantwortet.” — “I had answered my teacher immediately.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde antworten |
| du | wirst antworten |
| er/sie/es | wird antworten |
| wir | werden antworten |
| ihr | werdet antworten |
| sie/Sie | werden antworten |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde meinem Lehrer sofort antworten.” — “I will answer my teacher immediately.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde geantwortet haben |
| du | wirst geantwortet haben |
| er/sie/es | wird geantwortet haben |
| wir | werden geantwortet haben |
| ihr | werdet geantwortet haben |
| sie/Sie | werden geantwortet haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst meinem Lehrer sofort geantwortet haben.” — “You will have answered my teacher immediately.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | antworte |
| du | antwortest |
| er/sie/es | antworte |
| wir | antworten |
| ihr | antwortet |
| sie/Sie | antworten |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er antworte meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “He answers my teacher immediately.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | antwortete |
| du | antwortetest |
| er/sie/es | antwortete |
| wir | antworteten |
| ihr | antwortetet |
| sie/Sie | antworteten |
Konjunktiv II is used for hypothetical situations, wishes and polite requests. It doubles as the German conditional: there is no separate conditional tense, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not an engine tense. For example: “Ich antwortete meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “I would answer my teacher immediately.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte geantwortet |
| du | hättest geantwortet |
| er/sie/es | hätte geantwortet |
| wir | hätten geantwortet |
| ihr | hättet geantwortet |
| sie/Sie | hätten geantwortet |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte meinem Lehrer sofort geantwortet.” — “He would have answered my teacher immediately.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | antworte |
| wir | antworten |
| ihr | antwortet |
| sie/Sie | antworten |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. For example: “Antworte meinem Lehrer sofort!” — “Answer my teacher immediately!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | antwortend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle antwortend is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle (Partizip II) | geantwortet |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe auf die Frage geantwortet.” — “I have answered the question.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | antworten |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive. The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb: it is the form you look up, and the form that follows modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with antworten, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.”
- “Du antwortetest meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You answered my teacher immediately.”
- “Er hat mit einem Lächeln geantwortet.” — “He has answered with a smile.”
- “Ich werde auf die Frage antworten.” — “I will answer the question.”
- “Du antwortetest meinem Lehrer sofort.” — “You would answer my teacher immediately.”
- “Ich hatte mit einem Lächeln geantwortet.” — “I had answered with a smile.”
- “Du wirst meinem Lehrer sofort geantwortet haben.” — “You will have answered my teacher immediately.”
- “Er antworte mit einem Lächeln.” — “He answers with a smile.”
- “Ich hätte auf die Frage geantwortet.” — “I would have answered the question.”
- “Antworte auf die Frage!” — “Answer the question!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich antworten auf die Frage.”
✓ Right: “Ich antworte auf die Frage.”
The infinitive antworten never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form antworte.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich antworten auf die Frage.”
✓ Right: “Ich antworte auf die Frage.”
antworten is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with antworte.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich antworte auf die Frage gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe auf die Frage geantwortet.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe geantwortet, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin auf die Frage geantwortet.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe auf die Frage geantwortet.”
The Perfekt of antworten is formed with haben plus the past participle geantwortet: the ich form is habe geantwortet. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the preterite where spoken German prefers the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich antwortete auf die Frage gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe auf die Frage geantwortet.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe geantwortet is the usual past tense. The preterite antwortete is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Antworte auf die Frage!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Antwortet auf die Frage!”
The du imperative antworte is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form antwortet.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on antworten. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of antworten in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) antworte
- B) antwortest
- C) antwortet
- D) antworten
What is the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) antwortetest
- B) antworteten
- C) antwortetet
- D) antwortete
What is the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) habe geantwortet
- B) hast geantwortet
- C) haben geantwortet
- D) hat geantwortet
What is the du form of antworten in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werden antworten
- B) wirst antworten
- C) werde antworten
- D) wird antworten
What is the ich form of antworten in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) antwortetest
- B) antworteten
- C) antwortetet
- D) antwortete
What is the wir form of antworten in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hatten geantwortet
- B) hatte geantwortet
- C) hattest geantwortet
- D) hattet geantwortet
What is the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) antworte
- B) antwortest
- C) antworten
- D) antwortet
What is the du form of antworten in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) antworte
- B) antworten
- C) antwortet
- D) antwortest
What is the past participle of antworten?
- A) geantwortet
- B) geholfen
- C) gelernt
- D) studiert
What does antworten mean in English?
- A) to study
- B) to answer
- C) to help
- D) to learn
Answer key
- A) antworte — the ich form of antworten in the Present (Präsens) is antworte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) antwortete — the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Preterite (Präteritum) is antwortete. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) hat geantwortet — the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat geantwortet. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) wirst antworten — the du form of antworten in the Future (Futur I) is wirst antworten. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) antwortete — the ich form of antworten in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is antwortete. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) hatten geantwortet — the wir form of antworten in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten geantwortet. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) antworte — the er/sie/es form of antworten in the Konjunktiv I is antworte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) antworte — the du form of antworten in the Imperative (Imperativ) is antworte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) geantwortet — the past participle of antworten is geantwortet; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) to answer — antworten means “to answer” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does antworten mean in English?
antworten means “to answer”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is antworten regular or irregular?
antworten is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. The present participle is antwortend and the past participle is geantwortet.
What are the participles of antworten?
The present participle (Partizip I) is antwortend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is geantwortet — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe geantwortet.
Which auxiliary does antworten take in the Perfekt?
antworten takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe geantwortet. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle geantwortet.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form antwortete is the form you use for “would” meanings, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not a separate engine tense. The conditional perfect hätte geantwortet covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I answer the question” in German?
Say “Ich antworte auf die Frage.” — “I answer the question.” The ich form of the present is antworte, and it is the form you will use most often.
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.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise antworten with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise antworten with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise antworten with the interactive tool.