Holen Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German
How do you actually use holen — “to fetch” — in a real sentence? This page shows you: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue, the mistakes learners make most often with this verb, and a quiz to test yourself. Every German form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for holen. Start with the simplest sentence: “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “I fetch the post from the letter box.”
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for holen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Holen in real sentences
Twelve sentences with holen, covering the present, the Präteritum, the Perfekt, the Plusquamperfekt, the future, Konjunktiv I and II, and the imperative. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “I fetch the post from the letter box.”
- “Du holst die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “You fetch the post from the letter box.”
- “Er holt die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “He fetches the post from the letter box.”
- “Ich holte die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “I fetched the post from the letter box.”
- “Wir holten die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “We fetched the post from the letter box.”
- “Ich habe die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.” — “I have fetched the post from the letter box.”
- “Du hast die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.” — “You have fetched the post from the letter box.”
- “Ich hatte die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.” — “I had fetched the post from the letter box.”
- “Wir werden die Post vom Briefkasten holen.” — “We will fetch the post from the letter box.”
- “Ich werde die Post vom Briefkasten geholt haben.” — “I will have fetched the post from the letter box.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass ich die Post vom Briefkasten hole.” — “It is important that I fetch the post from the letter box.”
- “Ich holte die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “I would fetch the post from the letter box if I could.”
- “Ich hätte die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.” — “I would have fetched the post from the letter box if I had been able to.”
- “Hol die Post vom Briefkasten!” — “Fetch the post from the letter box!”
A short dialogue with holen
Anna and Ben talk about their plans. Every form of holen in the dialogue comes from the verified tables — read it aloud, changing the person each time.
Anna: “Du holst die Post vom Briefkasten?” — “You fetch the post from the letter box?”
Ben: “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “I fetch the post from the letter box.”
Anna: “Du hast die Post vom Briefkasten geholt?” — “You have fetched the post from the letter box?”
Ben: “Ich habe die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.” — “I have fetched the post from the letter box.”
Anna: “Du wirst die Post vom Briefkasten holen?” — “You will fetch the post from the letter box?”
Ben: “Ich werde die Post vom Briefkasten holen.” — “I will fetch the post from the letter box.”
Anna: “Hol die Post vom Briefkasten!” — “Fetch the post from the letter box!”
Ben: “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.” — “I fetch the post from the letter box.”
Notice how the verb changes with the person and the tense while the meaning stays the same: hole, holst, habe geholt, werde holen. If you can follow this dialogue without looking at the tables, you know holen well enough to use it.
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich holen die Post vom Briefkasten.”
✓ Right: “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.”
The infinitive holen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form hole.
2. Confusing holen with bringen
✗ Wrong: “Ich bringen die Post vom Briefkasten.” (using the wrong verb)
✓ Right: “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.”
holen means “to fetch”; bringen means “to bring”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.
3. Using the present for a finished past event
✗ Wrong: “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.”
Yesterday’s finished event needs the Perfekt (habe geholt), not the present.
4. Using the indicative after a Konjunktiv I trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass du die Post vom Briefkasten holst.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass du die Post vom Briefkasten holest.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use holest here, not the indicative holst.
Quiz: test yourself
What is the ich form of holen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) hole
- B) holst
- C) holt
- D) holen
What is the er/sie/es form of holen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) hole
- B) holt
- C) holen
- D) holst
What is the du form of holen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) holtet
- B) holte
- C) holtest
- D) holten
What is the wir form of holen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hast geholt
- B) haben geholt
- C) habt geholt
- D) habe geholt
What is the ich form of holen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wird holen
- B) werde holen
- C) werden holen
- D) werdet holen
What is the du form of holen in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) holte
- B) holten
- C) holtet
- D) holtest
What is the ich form of holen in the Conditional perfect?
- A) hättest geholt
- B) hätten geholt
- C) hätte geholt
- D) hättet geholt
What is the past participle of holen?
- A) holte
- B) hole
- C) holend
- D) geholt
What is the present participle of holen?
- A) geholt
- B) holend
- C) werde holen
- D) hole
What does holen mean in English?
- A) to bring
- B) to fetch
- C) to do
- D) to come
Answer key
- A) hole — the ich form of holen in the present tense is hole.
- B) holt — the er/sie/es form of holen in the present tense is holt.
- C) holtest — the du form of holen in the preterite is holtest.
- B) haben geholt — the wir form of holen in the Perfekt is haben geholt.
- B) werde holen — the ich form of holen in the Futur I is werde holen.
- D) holtest — the du form of holen in the Konjunktiv II is holtest.
- C) hätte geholt — the ich form of holen in the conditional perfect is hätte geholt.
- D) geholt — the past participle of holen is geholt; perfect tenses use haben + geholt.
- B) holend — the present participle of holen is holend.
- B) to fetch — holen means “to fetch” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does holen mean in English?
holen means “to fetch”. The examples above show it in everyday situations — for example, “Ich hole die Post vom Briefkasten.” (“I fetch the post from the letter box.”).
Is holen regular or irregular?
holen is regular: its endings follow the standard weak pattern in every tense. The full tables are on the conjugation page.
How do I use holen in the Perfekt?
Use haben + the past participle geholt: “Ich habe die Post vom Briefkasten geholt.” — “I have fetched the post from the letter box.” The full Perfekt table is on the conjugation page.
Related pages
- holen conjugation — the full conjugation tables for this verb in every tense.
- holen in the present tense — the full table and uses for this verb in one tense.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- German present tense guide — how this tense works for regular verbs.
- Einladen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Treffen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Verb Conjugator — practise holen with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise holen with the interactive tool.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise the present tense with the interactive tool.
- VerbFlow home — back to the start.