Einsteigen Conjugation in German
einsteigen means “to get in” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 373 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You use it whenever you talk about getting in into the train, 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 einsteigen — 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 steige in den Zug ein jeden Tag.” — “I get in into the train every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: einsteigen
- English: to get in
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
- Pattern: strong
- Separable: yes — the prefix ein splits off in finite forms, as in steige ein
- Participle I: einsteigend
- Past participle (Partizip II): eingestiegen
- Auxiliary: sein (all perfect tenses are formed with sein + the past participle)
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for einsteigen, 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 einsteigen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about einsteigen
- 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.
- The perfect tenses use sein: the perfect is formed with sein in the present plus the past participle eingestiegen. 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.
- Partizip I is einsteigend and Partizip II is eingestiegen: 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 einsteigen. 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 | steige ein |
| du | steigst ein |
| er/sie/es | steigt ein |
| wir | steigen ein |
| ihr | steigt ein |
| sie/Sie | steigen ein |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With einsteigen 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 ein goes to the end of the clause, as in steige ein. For example: “Ich steige in den Bus ein jeden Tag.” — “I get in into the bus every day.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | stieg ein |
| du | stiegst ein |
| er/sie/es | stieg ein |
| wir | stiegen ein |
| ihr | stiegt ein |
| sie/Sie | stiegen ein |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With einsteigen 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 ein goes to the end of the clause, as in stieg ein. For example: “Du stiegst in den Bus ein gestern.” — “You got in into the bus yesterday.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bin eingestiegen |
| du | bist eingestiegen |
| er/sie/es | ist eingestiegen |
| wir | sind eingestiegen |
| ihr | seid eingestiegen |
| sie/Sie | sind eingestiegen |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er ist in den Bus eingestiegen gestern.” — “He has got in into the bus yesterday.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | war eingestiegen |
| du | warst eingestiegen |
| er/sie/es | war eingestiegen |
| wir | waren eingestiegen |
| ihr | wart eingestiegen |
| sie/Sie | waren eingestiegen |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Wir waren in den Bus eingestiegen vor der Party.” — “We had got in into the bus before the party.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde einsteigen |
| du | wirst einsteigen |
| er/sie/es | wird einsteigen |
| wir | werden einsteigen |
| ihr | werdet einsteigen |
| sie/Sie | werden einsteigen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Ich werde in den Bus einsteigen morgen.” — “I will get in into the bus tomorrow.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde eingestiegen sein |
| du | wirst eingestiegen sein |
| er/sie/es | wird eingestiegen sein |
| wir | werden eingestiegen sein |
| ihr | werdet eingestiegen sein |
| sie/Sie | werden eingestiegen sein |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst in den Bus eingestiegen sein bis morgen.” — “You will have got in into the bus by tomorrow.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | steige ein |
| du | steigest ein |
| er/sie/es | steige ein |
| wir | steigen ein |
| ihr | steiget ein |
| sie/Sie | steigen ein |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech and indirect quotation. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix ein goes to the end of the clause, as in steige ein. For example: “Es ist wichtig, dass er einsteige in den Bus.” — “It is important that he get in into the bus.”
Konjunktiv II
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | stiege ein |
| du | stiegest ein |
| er/sie/es | stiege ein |
| wir | stiegen ein |
| ihr | stieget ein |
| sie/Sie | stiegen ein |
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 ein goes to the end of the clause, as in stiege ein. For example: “Ich stiege in den Bus ein eines Tages.” — “I would get in into the bus one day.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | wäre eingestiegen |
| du | wärst eingestiegen |
| er/sie/es | wäre eingestiegen |
| wir | wären eingestiegen |
| ihr | wärt eingestiegen |
| sie/Sie | wären eingestiegen |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er wäre in den Bus eingestiegen gestern.” — “He would have got in into the bus yesterday.”
Imperative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | steig ein |
| wir | einsteigen |
| ihr | steigt ein |
| sie | einsteigen |
The imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. With einsteigen 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 ein goes to the end of the clause, as in steig ein. For example: “Steig in den Bus ein!” — “Get in into the bus!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle | einsteigend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective and for describing an action in progress. For example, the participle einsteigend describes something that is getting in. The present-tense sentence “Ich steige in den Zug ein jeden Tag.” — “I get in into the train every day.” shows the same verb in action.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle | eingestiegen |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich bin in den Zug eingestiegen gestern.” — “I have got in into the train yesterday.”
Infinitive
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | einsteigen |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and in infinitive constructions. The infinitive einsteigen 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 in den Zug einsteigen morgen.” — “I will get in into the train tomorrow.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with einsteigen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich steige in den Zug ein jeden Tag.” — “I get in into the train every day.”
- “Du stiegst in den Bus ein gestern.” — “You got in into the bus yesterday.”
- “Er ist ins Auto eingestiegen gestern.” — “He has got in into the car yesterday.”
- “Wir waren in den Zug eingestiegen vor der Party.” — “We had got in into the train before the party.”
- “Ich werde in den Bus einsteigen morgen.” — “I will get in into the bus tomorrow.”
- “Du wirst ins Auto eingestiegen sein bis morgen.” — “You will have got in into the car by tomorrow.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass er einsteige in den Zug.” — “It is important that he get in into the train.”
- “Ich stiege in den Bus ein eines Tages.” — “I would get in into the bus one day.”
- “Er wäre ins Auto eingestiegen gestern.” — “He would have got in into the car yesterday.”
- “Steig in den Zug ein!” — “Get in into the train!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich einsteigen in den Zug.”
✓ Right: “Ich steige ein in den Zug.”
The infinitive einsteigen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form steige ein.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich steigen ein in den Zug.”
✓ Right: “Ich steige ein in den Zug.”
steigen ein is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with steige ein.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich steige ein in den Zug gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich bin in den Zug eingestiegen gestern.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt bin eingestiegen, not the present.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich steige ein in den Zug.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich einsteige in den Zug.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use einsteige here, not the indicative steige ein.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich habe eingestiegen in den Zug.”
✓ Right: “bin eingestiegen in den Zug.”
The Perfekt of einsteigen is formed with sein plus the past participle eingestiegen: the ich form is bin eingestiegen. 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 einsteige in den Zug.”
✓ Right: “Ich steige in den Zug ein.”
einsteigen is separable: in a main clause the prefix ein goes to the end, so the ich form is steige ein, not einsteige.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on einsteigen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of einsteigen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) steigst ein
- B) steigt ein
- C) steigen ein
- D) steige ein
What is the du form of einsteigen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) stiegt ein
- B) stiegst ein
- C) stieg ein
- D) stiegen ein
What is the er/sie/es form of einsteigen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) sind eingestiegen
- B) ist eingestiegen
- C) bin eingestiegen
- D) bist eingestiegen
What is the wir form of einsteigen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) waren eingestiegen
- B) war eingestiegen
- C) warst eingestiegen
- D) wart eingestiegen
What is the du form of einsteigen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst einsteigen
- B) werde einsteigen
- C) wird einsteigen
- D) werden einsteigen
What is the ich form of einsteigen in the Future perfect (Futur II)?
- A) wirst eingestiegen sein
- B) wird eingestiegen sein
- C) werden eingestiegen sein
- D) werde eingestiegen sein
What is the er/sie/es form of einsteigen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) steigest ein
- B) steigen ein
- C) steiget ein
- D) steige ein
What is the ich form of einsteigen in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) stiegest ein
- B) stiegen ein
- C) stieget ein
- D) stiege ein
What is the present participle (Partizip I) of einsteigen?
- A) reisend
- B) einsteigend
- C) aussteigend
- D) umsteigend
What does einsteigen mean in English?
- A) to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer
- B) to travel
- C) to get in
- D) to get out
Answer key
- D) steige ein — the ich form of einsteigen in the Present (Präsens) is steige ein. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) stiegst ein — the du form of einsteigen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is stiegst ein. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ist eingestiegen — the er/sie/es form of einsteigen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is ist eingestiegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) waren eingestiegen — the wir form of einsteigen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is waren eingestiegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) wirst einsteigen — the du form of einsteigen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst einsteigen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) werde eingestiegen sein — the ich form of einsteigen in the Future perfect (Futur II) is werde eingestiegen sein. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) steige ein — the er/sie/es form of einsteigen in the Konjunktiv I is steige ein. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) stiege ein — the ich form of einsteigen in the Konjunktiv II is stiege ein. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) einsteigend — the present participle (Partizip I) of einsteigen is einsteigend. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- C) to get in — einsteigen means “to get in” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does einsteigen mean in English?
einsteigen means “to get in”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is einsteigen regular or irregular?
einsteigen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Partizip I is einsteigend and Partizip II is eingestiegen.
What are the participles of einsteigen?
Partizip I is einsteigend — use it as an adjective. Partizip II is eingestiegen — use it with sein for the perfect tenses, as in bin eingestiegen.
Which auxiliary does einsteigen take in the Perfekt?
einsteigen takes sein in the Perfekt: the ich form is bin eingestiegen. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with sein plus the past participle eingestiegen.
How do I say “I get in” in German?
Say “Ich steige in den Zug ein jeden Tag.” — “I get in into the train every day.” The ich form of the present is steige ein, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of einsteigen — every tense of einsteigen in one place.
- Einsteigen in the Perfekt tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Einsteigen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Aussteigen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Umsteigen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Reisen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- 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 einsteigen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise einsteigen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise einsteigen with the interactive tool.