Fühlen Conjugation in German
fühlen means “to feel” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 66 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich fühle eine Blume im Garten.” — “I feel a flower in the garden.” — 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 fühlen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: fühlen
- English: to feel
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Present participle (Partizip I): fühlend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gefühlt
- 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 fühlen, 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 fühlen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about fühlen
- 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 gefühlt. 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 fühlend and gefühlt: 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 fühlen. 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 | fühle |
| du | fühlst |
| er/sie/es | fühlt |
| wir | fühlen |
| ihr | fühlt |
| sie/Sie | fühlen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich fühle den Wind im Gesicht.” — “I feel the wind on my face.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | fühlte |
| du | fühltest |
| er/sie/es | fühlte |
| wir | fühlten |
| ihr | fühltet |
| sie/Sie | fühlten |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du fühltest den Wind im Gesicht.” — “You felt the wind on my face.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe gefühlt |
| du | hast gefühlt |
| er/sie/es | hat gefühlt |
| wir | haben gefühlt |
| ihr | habt gefühlt |
| sie/Sie | haben gefühlt |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat den Wind im Gesicht gefühlt.” — “He has felt the wind on my face.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte gefühlt |
| du | hattest gefühlt |
| er/sie/es | hatte gefühlt |
| wir | hatten gefühlt |
| ihr | hattet gefühlt |
| sie/Sie | hatten gefühlt |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte den Wind im Gesicht gefühlt.” — “I had felt the wind on my face.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde fühlen |
| du | wirst fühlen |
| er/sie/es | wird fühlen |
| wir | werden fühlen |
| ihr | werdet fühlen |
| sie/Sie | werden fühlen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde den Wind im Gesicht fühlen.” — “I will feel the wind on my face.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gefühlt haben |
| du | wirst gefühlt haben |
| er/sie/es | wird gefühlt haben |
| wir | werden gefühlt haben |
| ihr | werdet gefühlt haben |
| sie/Sie | werden gefühlt haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst den Wind im Gesicht gefühlt haben.” — “You will have felt the wind on my face.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | fühle |
| du | fühlest |
| er/sie/es | fühle |
| wir | fühlen |
| ihr | fühlet |
| sie/Sie | fühlen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er fühle den Wind im Gesicht.” — “He feels the wind on my face.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | fühlte |
| du | fühltest |
| er/sie/es | fühlte |
| wir | fühlten |
| ihr | fühltet |
| sie/Sie | fühlten |
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 fühlte den Wind im Gesicht.” — “I would feel the wind on my face.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte gefühlt |
| du | hättest gefühlt |
| er/sie/es | hätte gefühlt |
| wir | hätten gefühlt |
| ihr | hättet gefühlt |
| sie/Sie | hätten gefühlt |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte den Wind im Gesicht gefühlt.” — “He would have felt the wind on my face.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | fühl |
| wir | fühlen |
| ihr | fühlt |
| sie/Sie | fühlen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. For example: “Fühl den Wind im Gesicht!” — “Feel the wind on my face!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | fühlend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle fühlend 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) | gefühlt |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe eine Blume im Garten gefühlt.” — “I have felt a flower in the garden.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | fühlen |
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 fühlen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich fühle eine Blume im Garten.” — “I feel a flower in the garden.”
- “Du fühltest den Wind im Gesicht.” — “You felt the wind on my face.”
- “Er hat die Sonne auf der Haut gefühlt.” — “He has felt the sun on my skin.”
- “Ich werde eine Blume im Garten fühlen.” — “I will feel a flower in the garden.”
- “Du fühltest den Wind im Gesicht.” — “You would feel the wind on my face.”
- “Ich hatte die Sonne auf der Haut gefühlt.” — “I had felt the sun on my skin.”
- “Du wirst den Wind im Gesicht gefühlt haben.” — “You will have felt the wind on my face.”
- “Er fühle die Sonne auf der Haut.” — “He feels the sun on my skin.”
- “Ich hätte eine Blume im Garten gefühlt.” — “I would have felt a flower in the garden.”
- “Fühl eine Blume im Garten!” — “Feel a flower in the garden!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich fühlen eine Blume im Garten.”
✓ Right: “Ich fühle eine Blume im Garten.”
The infinitive fühlen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form fühle.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich fühlen eine Blume im Garten.”
✓ Right: “Ich fühle eine Blume im Garten.”
fühlen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with fühle.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich fühle eine Blume im Garten gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe eine Blume im Garten gefühlt.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gefühlt, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin eine Blume im Garten gefühlt.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe eine Blume im Garten gefühlt.”
The Perfekt of fühlen is formed with haben plus the past participle gefühlt: the ich form is habe gefühlt. 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 fühlte eine Blume im Garten gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe eine Blume im Garten gefühlt.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gefühlt is the usual past tense. The preterite fühlte is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Fühl eine Blume im Garten!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Fühlt eine Blume im Garten!”
The du imperative fühl is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form fühlt.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on fühlen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of fühlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) fühlen
- B) fühle
- C) fühlst
- D) fühlt
What is the er/sie/es form of fühlen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) fühltet
- B) fühlte
- C) fühltest
- D) fühlten
What is the er/sie/es form of fühlen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) haben gefühlt
- B) hat gefühlt
- C) habe gefühlt
- D) hast gefühlt
What is the du form of fühlen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wird fühlen
- B) werden fühlen
- C) wirst fühlen
- D) werde fühlen
What is the ich form of fühlen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) fühltet
- B) fühlte
- C) fühltest
- D) fühlten
What is the wir form of fühlen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattest gefühlt
- B) hattet gefühlt
- C) hatten gefühlt
- D) hatte gefühlt
What is the er/sie/es form of fühlen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) fühlet
- B) fühle
- C) fühlest
- D) fühlen
What is the du form of fühlen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) fühlt
- B) fühlst
- C) fühl
- D) fühlen
What is the past participle of fühlen?
- A) gegessen
- B) getrunken
- C) gefühlt
- D) gewohnt
What does fühlen mean in English?
- A) to drink
- B) to feel
- C) to live
- D) to eat
Answer key
- B) fühle — the ich form of fühlen in the Present (Präsens) is fühle. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) fühlte — the er/sie/es form of fühlen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is fühlte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hat gefühlt — the er/sie/es form of fühlen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gefühlt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) wirst fühlen — the du form of fühlen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst fühlen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) fühlte — the ich form of fühlen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is fühlte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) hatten gefühlt — the wir form of fühlen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gefühlt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) fühle — the er/sie/es form of fühlen in the Konjunktiv I is fühle. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) fühl — the du form of fühlen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is fühl. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) gefühlt — the past participle of fühlen is gefühlt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) to feel — fühlen means “to feel” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does fühlen mean in English?
fühlen means “to feel”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is fühlen regular or irregular?
fühlen is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. The present participle is fühlend and the past participle is gefühlt.
What are the participles of fühlen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is fühlend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gefühlt — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gefühlt.
Which auxiliary does fühlen take in the Perfekt?
fühlen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe gefühlt. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle gefühlt.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form fühlte 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 gefühlt covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I feel a flower in the garden” in German?
Say “Ich fühle eine Blume im Garten.” — “I feel a flower in the garden.” The ich form of the present is fühle, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of fühlen — every tense of fühlen in one place.
- Fühlen in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Fühlen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Wohnen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Essen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Trinken 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 fühlen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise fühlen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise fühlen with the interactive tool.