Anziehen Conjugation in German

anziehen means “to put on” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 79 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You use it whenever you talk about putting on my jacket, 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 anziehen — every tense, every person, both participles and the infinitive — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Ich ziehe meine Jacke an jeden Tag.” — “I put on my jacket every day.”

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: anziehen
  • English: to put on
  • Verb type: Irregular
  • Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
  • Pattern: strong
  • Separable: yes — the prefix an splits off in finite forms, as in ziehe an
  • Participle I: anziehend
  • Past participle (Partizip II): angezogen
  • Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for anziehen, 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 anziehen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.

Three things to remember about anziehen

  1. It is irregular in 4 tense(s): present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Learn those forms as a set rather than guessing them from the infinitive, because the regular pattern will not produce them.
  2. The perfect tenses use haben: the perfect is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle angezogen. The tables on this page give the participle in the uninflected form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
  3. Partizip I is anziehend and Partizip II is angezogen: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because Partizip I appears in adjectival uses and Partizip II 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 anziehen. 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 ziehe an
du ziehst an
er/sie/es zieht an
wir ziehen an
ihr zieht an
sie/Sie ziehen an

The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With anziehen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix an goes to the end of the clause, as in ziehe an. For example: “Ich ziehe den Mantel an jeden Tag.” — “I put on the coat every day.”

Preterite (Präteritum)

Person Form
ich zog an
du zogst an
er/sie/es zog an
wir zogen an
ihr zogt an
sie/Sie zogen an

The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With anziehen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix an goes to the end of the clause, as in zog an. For example: “Du zogst den Mantel an gestern.” — “You put on the coat yesterday.”

Perfect (Perfekt)

Person Form
ich habe angezogen
du hast angezogen
er/sie/es hat angezogen
wir haben angezogen
ihr habt angezogen
sie/Sie haben angezogen

The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat den Mantel angezogen gestern.” — “He has put on the coat yesterday.”

Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)

Person Form
ich hatte angezogen
du hattest angezogen
er/sie/es hatte angezogen
wir hatten angezogen
ihr hattet angezogen
sie/Sie hatten angezogen

The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Wir hatten den Mantel angezogen vor der Party.” — “We had put on the coat before the party.”

Future (Futur I)

Person Form
ich werde anziehen
du wirst anziehen
er/sie/es wird anziehen
wir werden anziehen
ihr werdet anziehen
sie/Sie werden anziehen

The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Ich werde den Mantel anziehen morgen.” — “I will put on the coat tomorrow.”

Future perfect (Futur II)

Person Form
ich werde angezogen haben
du wirst angezogen haben
er/sie/es wird angezogen haben
wir werden angezogen haben
ihr werdet angezogen haben
sie/Sie werden angezogen haben

The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst den Mantel angezogen haben bis morgen.” — “You will have put on the coat by tomorrow.”

Konjunktiv I

Person Form
ich ziehe an
du ziehest an
er/sie/es ziehe an
wir ziehen an
ihr ziehet an
sie/Sie ziehen an

Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech and indirect quotation. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix an goes to the end of the clause, as in ziehe an. For example: “Es ist wichtig, dass er anziehe den Mantel.” — “It is important that he put on the coat.”

Konjunktiv II

Person Form
ich zöge an
du zögest an
er/sie/es zöge an
wir zögen an
ihr zöget an
sie/Sie zögen an

Konjunktiv II is used for wishes, hypothetical situations and polite requests. It doubles as the conditional: there is no separate würde tense in the tables, and the periphrastic alternative with würde plus the infinitive is a way of expressing the same meaning, not a tense of its own. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix an goes to the end of the clause, as in zöge an. For example: “Ich zöge den Mantel an eines Tages.” — “I would put on the coat one day.”

Conditional perfect

Person Form
ich hätte angezogen
du hättest angezogen
er/sie/es hätte angezogen
wir hätten angezogen
ihr hättet angezogen
sie/Sie hätten angezogen

The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte den Mantel angezogen gestern.” — “He would have put on the coat yesterday.”

Imperative

Person Form
du zieh an
wir anziehen
ihr zieht an
sie anziehen

The imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. With anziehen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix an goes to the end of the clause, as in zieh an. For example: “Zieh den Mantel an!” — “Put on the coat!”

Present participle (Partizip I)

Form German
Present participle anziehend

The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective and for describing an action in progress. For example, the participle anziehend describes something that is putting on. The present-tense sentence “Ich ziehe meine Jacke an jeden Tag.” — “I put on my jacket every day.” shows the same verb in action.

Past participle (Partizip II)

Form German
Past participle angezogen

The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe meine Jacke angezogen gestern.” — “I have put on my jacket yesterday.”

Infinitive

Form German
Infinitive anziehen

The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and in infinitive constructions. The infinitive anziehen is the form you look up in a dictionary. In a sentence it appears after a modal verb or with zu, and in the future it follows werden, as in “Ich werde meine Jacke anziehen morgen.” — “I will put on my jacket tomorrow.”

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with anziehen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.

  1. “Ich ziehe meine Jacke an jeden Tag.” — “I put on my jacket every day.”
  2. “Du zogst den Mantel an gestern.” — “You put on the coat yesterday.”
  3. “Er hat meine Schuhe angezogen gestern.” — “He has put on my shoes yesterday.”
  4. “Wir hatten meine Jacke angezogen vor der Party.” — “We had put on my jacket before the party.”
  5. “Ich werde den Mantel anziehen morgen.” — “I will put on the coat tomorrow.”
  6. “Du wirst meine Schuhe angezogen haben bis morgen.” — “You will have put on my shoes by tomorrow.”
  7. “Es ist wichtig, dass er anziehe meine Jacke.” — “It is important that he put on my jacket.”
  8. “Ich zöge den Mantel an eines Tages.” — “I would put on the coat one day.”
  9. “Er hätte meine Schuhe angezogen gestern.” — “He would have put on my shoes yesterday.”
  10. “Zieh meine Jacke an!” — “Put on my jacket!”

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Ich anziehen meine Jacke.”

✓ Right: “Ich ziehe an meine Jacke.”

The infinitive anziehen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form ziehe an.

2. Using the wrong person’s form

✗ Wrong: “Ich ziehen an meine Jacke.”

✓ Right: “Ich ziehe an meine Jacke.”

ziehen an is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with ziehe an.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Ich ziehe an meine Jacke gestern.”

✓ Right: “Ich habe meine Jacke angezogen gestern.”

The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe angezogen, not the present.

4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich ziehe an meine Jacke.”

✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich anziehe meine Jacke.”

After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use anziehe here, not the indicative ziehe an.

5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt

✗ Wrong: “Ich bin angezogen meine Jacke.”

✓ Right: “habe angezogen meine Jacke.”

The Perfekt of anziehen is formed with haben plus the past participle angezogen: the ich form is habe angezogen. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.

6. Keeping the separable prefix attached in a main clause

✗ Wrong: “Ich anziehe meine Jacke.”

✓ Right: “Ich ziehe meine Jacke an.”

anziehen is separable: in a main clause the prefix an goes to the end, so the ich form is ziehe an, not anziehe.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on anziehen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. What is the ich form of anziehen in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) ziehe an
    • B) ziehst an
    • C) zieht an
    • D) ziehen an

  2. What is the du form of anziehen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?

    • A) zogen an
    • B) zogt an
    • C) zogst an
    • D) zog an

  3. What is the er/sie/es form of anziehen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?

    • A) haben angezogen
    • B) hat angezogen
    • C) habe angezogen
    • D) hast angezogen

  4. What is the wir form of anziehen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?

    • A) hattest angezogen
    • B) hattet angezogen
    • C) hatten angezogen
    • D) hatte angezogen

  5. What is the du form of anziehen in the Future (Futur I)?

    • A) werden anziehen
    • B) wirst anziehen
    • C) werde anziehen
    • D) wird anziehen

  6. What is the ich form of anziehen in the Future perfect (Futur II)?

    • A) werden angezogen haben
    • B) werde angezogen haben
    • C) wirst angezogen haben
    • D) wird angezogen haben

  7. What is the er/sie/es form of anziehen in the Konjunktiv I?

    • A) ziehe an
    • B) ziehest an
    • C) ziehen an
    • D) ziehet an

  8. What is the ich form of anziehen in the Konjunktiv II?

    • A) zöget an
    • B) zöge an
    • C) zögest an
    • D) zögen an

  9. What is the present participle (Partizip I) of anziehen?

    • A) aufwachend
    • B) einschlafend
    • C) anziehend
    • D) ausziehend

  10. What does anziehen mean in English?

  • A) to take off
  • B) to wake up
  • C) to fall asleep
  • D) to put on

Answer key

  1. A) ziehe an — the ich form of anziehen in the Present (Präsens) is ziehe an. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) zogst an — the du form of anziehen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is zogst an. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. B) hat angezogen — the er/sie/es form of anziehen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat angezogen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. C) hatten angezogen — the wir form of anziehen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten angezogen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) wirst anziehen — the du form of anziehen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst anziehen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. B) werde angezogen haben — the ich form of anziehen in the Future perfect (Futur II) is werde angezogen haben. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. A) ziehe an — the er/sie/es form of anziehen in the Konjunktiv I is ziehe an. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. B) zöge an — the ich form of anziehen in the Konjunktiv II is zöge an. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. C) anziehend — the present participle (Partizip I) of anziehen is anziehend. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. D) to put on — anziehen means “to put on” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does anziehen mean in English?

anziehen means “to put on”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.

Is anziehen regular or irregular?

anziehen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Partizip I is anziehend and Partizip II is angezogen.

What are the participles of anziehen?

Partizip I is anziehend — use it as an adjective. Partizip II is angezogen — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe angezogen.

Which auxiliary does anziehen take in the Perfekt?

anziehen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe angezogen. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle angezogen.

How do I say “I put on” in German?

Say “Ich ziehe meine Jacke an jeden Tag.” — “I put on my jacket every day.” The ich form of the present is ziehe an, and it is the form you will use most often.

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