Kaufen Conjugation in German
kaufen means “to buy” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 42 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich kaufe ein Buch im Laden.” — “I buy a book in the shop.” — 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 kaufen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: kaufen
- English: to buy
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Present participle (Partizip I): kaufend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gekauft
- 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 kaufen, 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 kaufen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about kaufen
- 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 gekauft. 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 kaufend and gekauft: 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 kaufen. 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 | kaufe |
| du | kaufst |
| er/sie/es | kauft |
| wir | kaufen |
| ihr | kauft |
| sie/Sie | kaufen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich kaufe Brot und Milch am Morgen.” — “I buy bread and milk in the morning.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | kaufte |
| du | kauftest |
| er/sie/es | kaufte |
| wir | kauften |
| ihr | kauftet |
| sie/Sie | kauften |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du kauftest Brot und Milch am Morgen.” — “You bought bread and milk in the morning.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe gekauft |
| du | hast gekauft |
| er/sie/es | hat gekauft |
| wir | haben gekauft |
| ihr | habt gekauft |
| sie/Sie | haben gekauft |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat Brot und Milch am Morgen gekauft.” — “He has bought bread and milk in the morning.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte gekauft |
| du | hattest gekauft |
| er/sie/es | hatte gekauft |
| wir | hatten gekauft |
| ihr | hattet gekauft |
| sie/Sie | hatten gekauft |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte Brot und Milch am Morgen gekauft.” — “I had bought bread and milk in the morning.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde kaufen |
| du | wirst kaufen |
| er/sie/es | wird kaufen |
| wir | werden kaufen |
| ihr | werdet kaufen |
| sie/Sie | werden kaufen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde Brot und Milch am Morgen kaufen.” — “I will buy bread and milk in the morning.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gekauft haben |
| du | wirst gekauft haben |
| er/sie/es | wird gekauft haben |
| wir | werden gekauft haben |
| ihr | werdet gekauft haben |
| sie/Sie | werden gekauft haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst Brot und Milch am Morgen gekauft haben.” — “You will have bought bread and milk in the morning.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | kaufe |
| du | kaufest |
| er/sie/es | kaufe |
| wir | kaufen |
| ihr | kaufet |
| sie/Sie | kaufen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er kaufe Brot und Milch am Morgen.” — “He buys bread and milk in the morning.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | kaufte |
| du | kauftest |
| er/sie/es | kaufte |
| wir | kauften |
| ihr | kauftet |
| sie/Sie | kauften |
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 kaufte Brot und Milch am Morgen.” — “I would buy bread and milk in the morning.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte gekauft |
| du | hättest gekauft |
| er/sie/es | hätte gekauft |
| wir | hätten gekauft |
| ihr | hättet gekauft |
| sie/Sie | hätten gekauft |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte Brot und Milch am Morgen gekauft.” — “He would have bought bread and milk in the morning.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | kauf |
| wir | kaufen |
| ihr | kauft |
| sie/Sie | kaufen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. For example: “Kauf Brot und Milch am Morgen!” — “Buy bread and milk in the morning!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | kaufend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle kaufend 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) | gekauft |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe ein Buch im Laden gekauft.” — “I have bought a book in the shop.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | kaufen |
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 kaufen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich kaufe ein Buch im Laden.” — “I buy a book in the shop.”
- “Du kauftest Brot und Milch am Morgen.” — “You bought bread and milk in the morning.”
- “Er hat einen neuen Mantel im Winter gekauft.” — “He has bought a new coat in winter.”
- “Ich werde ein Buch im Laden kaufen.” — “I will buy a book in the shop.”
- “Du kauftest Brot und Milch am Morgen.” — “You would buy bread and milk in the morning.”
- “Ich hatte einen neuen Mantel im Winter gekauft.” — “I had bought a new coat in winter.”
- “Du wirst Brot und Milch am Morgen gekauft haben.” — “You will have bought bread and milk in the morning.”
- “Er kaufe einen neuen Mantel im Winter.” — “He buys a new coat in winter.”
- “Ich hätte ein Buch im Laden gekauft.” — “I would have bought a book in the shop.”
- “Kauf ein Buch im Laden!” — “Buy a book in the shop!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich kaufen ein Buch im Laden.”
✓ Right: “Ich kaufe ein Buch im Laden.”
The infinitive kaufen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form kaufe.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich kaufen ein Buch im Laden.”
✓ Right: “Ich kaufe ein Buch im Laden.”
kaufen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with kaufe.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich kaufe ein Buch im Laden gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe ein Buch im Laden gekauft.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gekauft, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin ein Buch im Laden gekauft.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe ein Buch im Laden gekauft.”
The Perfekt of kaufen is formed with haben plus the past participle gekauft: the ich form is habe gekauft. 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 kaufte ein Buch im Laden gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe ein Buch im Laden gekauft.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gekauft is the usual past tense. The preterite kaufte is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Kauf ein Buch im Laden!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Kauft ein Buch im Laden!”
The du imperative kauf is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form kauft.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on kaufen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of kaufen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) kaufe
- B) kaufst
- C) kauft
- D) kaufen
What is the er/sie/es form of kaufen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) kaufte
- B) kauftest
- C) kauften
- D) kauftet
What is the er/sie/es form of kaufen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hat gekauft
- B) habe gekauft
- C) hast gekauft
- D) haben gekauft
What is the du form of kaufen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werden kaufen
- B) wirst kaufen
- C) werde kaufen
- D) wird kaufen
What is the ich form of kaufen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) kaufte
- B) kauftest
- C) kauften
- D) kauftet
What is the wir form of kaufen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattet gekauft
- B) hatten gekauft
- C) hatte gekauft
- D) hattest gekauft
What is the er/sie/es form of kaufen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) kaufe
- B) kaufest
- C) kaufen
- D) kaufet
What is the du form of kaufen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) kaufst
- B) kauf
- C) kaufen
- D) kauft
What is the past participle of kaufen?
- A) gewesen
- B) gekauft
- C) verkauft
- D) bezahlt
What does kaufen mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to buy
- C) to sell
- D) to pay
Answer key
- A) kaufe — the ich form of kaufen in the Present (Präsens) is kaufe. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) kaufte — the er/sie/es form of kaufen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is kaufte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) hat gekauft — the er/sie/es form of kaufen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gekauft. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) wirst kaufen — the du form of kaufen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst kaufen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) kaufte — the ich form of kaufen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is kaufte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hatten gekauft — the wir form of kaufen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gekauft. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) kaufe — the er/sie/es form of kaufen in the Konjunktiv I is kaufe. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) kauf — the du form of kaufen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is kauf. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) gekauft — the past participle of kaufen is gekauft; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) to buy — kaufen means “to buy” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does kaufen mean in English?
kaufen means “to buy”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is kaufen regular or irregular?
kaufen is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. The present participle is kaufend and the past participle is gekauft.
What are the participles of kaufen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is kaufend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gekauft — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gekauft.
Which auxiliary does kaufen take in the Perfekt?
kaufen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe gekauft. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle gekauft.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form kaufte 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 gekauft covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I buy a book in the shop” in German?
Say “Ich kaufe ein Buch im Laden.” — “I buy a book in the shop.” The ich form of the present is kaufe, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of kaufen — every tense of kaufen in one place.
- Kaufen in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Kaufen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Verkaufen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Bezahlen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Sein 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 kaufen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise kaufen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise kaufen with the interactive tool.