Arbeiten Conjugation in German

arbeiten means “to work” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 21 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich arbeite in Berlin.” — “I work in Berlin.” — 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 arbeiten — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: arbeiten
  • English: to work
  • Verb type: Regular
  • Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
  • Present participle (Partizip I): arbeitend
  • Past participle (Partizip II): gearbeitet
  • 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 arbeiten, 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 arbeiten in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.

Three things to remember about arbeiten

  1. 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.
  2. The perfect tenses use haben: the Perfekt is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle gearbeitet. 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.
  3. The participles are arbeitend and gearbeitet: 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 arbeiten. 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 arbeite
du arbeitest
er/sie/es arbeitet
wir arbeiten
ihr arbeitet
sie/Sie arbeiten

The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich arbeite jeden Tag im Büro.” — “I work in an office every day.”

Preterite (Präteritum)

Person Form
ich arbeitete
du arbeitetest
er/sie/es arbeitete
wir arbeiteten
ihr arbeitetet
sie/Sie arbeiteten

The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du arbeitetest jeden Tag im Büro.” — “You worked in an office every day.”

Perfect (Perfekt)

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

The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat jeden Tag im Büro gearbeitet.” — “He has worked in an office every day.”

Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)

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

The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte jeden Tag im Büro gearbeitet.” — “I had worked in an office every day.”

Future (Futur I)

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

The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde jeden Tag im Büro arbeiten.” — “I will work in an office every day.”

Future perfect (Futur II)

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

The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst jeden Tag im Büro gearbeitet haben.” — “You will have worked in an office every day.”

Konjunktiv I

Person Form
ich arbeite
du arbeitest
er/sie/es arbeite
wir arbeiten
ihr arbeitet
sie/Sie arbeiten

Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er arbeite jeden Tag im Büro.” — “He works in an office every day.”

Konjunktiv II (conditional)

Person Form
ich arbeitete
du arbeitetest
er/sie/es arbeitete
wir arbeiteten
ihr arbeitetet
sie/Sie arbeiteten

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 arbeitete jeden Tag im Büro.” — “I would work in an office every day.”

Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)

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

The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte jeden Tag im Büro gearbeitet.” — “He would have worked in an office every day.”

Imperative (Imperativ)

Person Form
du arbeite
wir arbeiten
ihr arbeitet
sie/Sie arbeiten

The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. For example: “Arbeite jeden Tag im Büro!” — “Work in an office every day!”

Present participle (Partizip I)

Form German
Present participle (Partizip I) arbeitend

The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle arbeitend 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) gearbeitet

The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe in Berlin gearbeitet.” — “I have worked in Berlin.”

Infinitive (Infinitiv)

Form German
Infinitive arbeiten

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 arbeiten, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.

  1. “Ich arbeite in Berlin.” — “I work in Berlin.”
  2. “Du arbeitetest jeden Tag im Büro.” — “You worked in an office every day.”
  3. “Er hat heute bis spät gearbeitet.” — “He has worked until late today.”
  4. “Ich werde in Berlin arbeiten.” — “I will work in Berlin.”
  5. “Du arbeitetest jeden Tag im Büro.” — “You would work in an office every day.”
  6. “Ich hatte heute bis spät gearbeitet.” — “I had worked until late today.”
  7. “Du wirst jeden Tag im Büro gearbeitet haben.” — “You will have worked in an office every day.”
  8. “Er arbeite heute bis spät.” — “He works until late today.”
  9. “Ich hätte in Berlin gearbeitet.” — “I would have worked in Berlin.”
  10. “Arbeite in Berlin!” — “Work in Berlin!”

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Ich arbeiten in Berlin.”

✓ Right: “Ich arbeite in Berlin.”

The infinitive arbeiten never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form arbeite.

2. Using the wrong person’s form

✗ Wrong: “Ich arbeiten in Berlin.”

✓ Right: “Ich arbeite in Berlin.”

arbeiten is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with arbeite.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Ich arbeite in Berlin gestern.”

✓ Right: “Ich habe in Berlin gearbeitet.”

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

4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt

✗ Wrong: “Ich bin in Berlin gearbeitet.”

✓ Right: “Ich habe in Berlin gearbeitet.”

The Perfekt of arbeiten is formed with haben plus the past participle gearbeitet: the ich form is habe gearbeitet. 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 arbeitete in Berlin gestern.” (in everyday speech)

✓ Right: “Ich habe in Berlin gearbeitet.”

In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gearbeitet is the usual past tense. The preterite arbeitete is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.

6. Using the du form when talking to a group

✗ Wrong: “Arbeite in Berlin!” (said to several people)

✓ Right: “Arbeitet in Berlin!”

The du imperative arbeite is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form arbeitet.

Quiz: test yourself

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

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

    • A) arbeite
    • B) arbeitest
    • C) arbeitet
    • D) arbeiten

  2. What is the er/sie/es form of arbeiten in the Preterite (Präteritum)?

    • A) arbeitetest
    • B) arbeiteten
    • C) arbeitetet
    • D) arbeitete

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

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

  4. What is the du form of arbeiten in the Future (Futur I)?

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

  5. What is the ich form of arbeiten in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?

    • A) arbeitetest
    • B) arbeiteten
    • C) arbeitetet
    • D) arbeitete

  6. What is the wir form of arbeiten in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?

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

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

    • A) arbeite
    • B) arbeitest
    • C) arbeiten
    • D) arbeitet

  8. What is the du form of arbeiten in the Imperative (Imperativ)?

    • A) arbeite
    • B) arbeiten
    • C) arbeitet
    • D) arbeitest

  9. What is the past participle of arbeiten?

    • A) gearbeitet
    • B) gespielt
    • C) gehört
    • D) gefühlt

  10. What does arbeiten mean in English?

  • A) to hear
  • B) to feel
  • C) to work
  • D) to play

Answer key

  1. A) arbeite — the ich form of arbeiten in the Present (Präsens) is arbeite. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. D) arbeitete — the er/sie/es form of arbeiten in the Preterite (Präteritum) is arbeitete. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) hat gearbeitet — the er/sie/es form of arbeiten in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gearbeitet. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. B) wirst arbeiten — the du form of arbeiten in the Future (Futur I) is wirst arbeiten. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. D) arbeitete — the ich form of arbeiten in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is arbeitete. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. A) hatten gearbeitet — the wir form of arbeiten in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gearbeitet. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. A) arbeite — the er/sie/es form of arbeiten in the Konjunktiv I is arbeite. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) arbeite — the du form of arbeiten in the Imperative (Imperativ) is arbeite. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. A) gearbeitet — the past participle of arbeiten is gearbeitet; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. C) to work — arbeiten means “to work” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does arbeiten mean in English?

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

Is arbeiten regular or irregular?

arbeiten is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. The present participle is arbeitend and the past participle is gearbeitet.

What are the participles of arbeiten?

The present participle (Partizip I) is arbeitend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gearbeitet — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gearbeitet.

Which auxiliary does arbeiten take in the Perfekt?

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

Does German have a separate conditional tense?

No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form arbeitete 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 gearbeitet covers “would have” meanings.

How do I say “I work in Berlin” in German?

Say “Ich arbeite in Berlin.” — “I work in Berlin.” The ich form of the present is arbeite, and it is the form you will use most often.

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