Lesen Conjugation in German
lesen means “to read” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 24 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich lese ein Buch am Abend.” — “I read a book in the evening.” — 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 lesen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: lesen
- English: to read
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
- Present participle (Partizip I): lesend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gelesen
- Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)
- Pattern: strong in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for lesen, 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 lesen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about lesen
- 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 haben: the Perfekt is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle gelesen. 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 lesend and gelesen: 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 lesen. 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 | lese |
| du | liest |
| er/sie/es | liest |
| wir | lesen |
| ihr | lest |
| sie/Sie | lesen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With lesen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich lese die Zeitung jeden Morgen.” — “I read the newspaper every morning.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | las |
| du | lasest |
| er/sie/es | las |
| wir | lasen |
| ihr | last |
| sie/Sie | lasen |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With lesen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Du lasest die Zeitung jeden Morgen.” — “You read the newspaper every morning.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe gelesen |
| du | hast gelesen |
| er/sie/es | hat gelesen |
| wir | haben gelesen |
| ihr | habt gelesen |
| sie/Sie | haben gelesen |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat die Zeitung jeden Morgen gelesen.” — “He has read the newspaper every morning.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte gelesen |
| du | hattest gelesen |
| er/sie/es | hatte gelesen |
| wir | hatten gelesen |
| ihr | hattet gelesen |
| sie/Sie | hatten gelesen |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte die Zeitung jeden Morgen gelesen.” — “I had read the newspaper every morning.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde lesen |
| du | wirst lesen |
| er/sie/es | wird lesen |
| wir | werden lesen |
| ihr | werdet lesen |
| sie/Sie | werden lesen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde die Zeitung jeden Morgen lesen.” — “I will read the newspaper every morning.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gelesen haben |
| du | wirst gelesen haben |
| er/sie/es | wird gelesen haben |
| wir | werden gelesen haben |
| ihr | werdet gelesen haben |
| sie/Sie | werden gelesen haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst die Zeitung jeden Morgen gelesen haben.” — “You will have read the newspaper every morning.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | lese |
| du | lesest |
| er/sie/es | lese |
| wir | lesen |
| ihr | leset |
| sie/Sie | lesen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er lese die Zeitung jeden Morgen.” — “He reads the newspaper every morning.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | läse |
| du | läsest |
| er/sie/es | läse |
| wir | läsen |
| ihr | läset |
| sie/Sie | läsen |
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 läse die Zeitung jeden Morgen.” — “I would read the newspaper every morning.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte gelesen |
| du | hättest gelesen |
| er/sie/es | hätte gelesen |
| wir | hätten gelesen |
| ihr | hättet gelesen |
| sie/Sie | hätten gelesen |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte die Zeitung jeden Morgen gelesen.” — “He would have read the newspaper every morning.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | lies |
| wir | lesen |
| ihr | lest |
| sie/Sie | lesen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. With lesen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Lies die Zeitung jeden Morgen!” — “Read the newspaper every morning!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | lesend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle lesend 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) | gelesen |
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 am Abend gelesen.” — “I have read a book in the evening.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | lesen |
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 lesen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich lese ein Buch am Abend.” — “I read a book in the evening.”
- “Du lasest die Zeitung jeden Morgen.” — “You read the newspaper every morning.”
- “Er hat einen Brief von Marie gelesen.” — “He has read a letter from Marie.”
- “Ich werde ein Buch am Abend lesen.” — “I will read a book in the evening.”
- “Du läsest die Zeitung jeden Morgen.” — “You would read the newspaper every morning.”
- “Ich hatte einen Brief von Marie gelesen.” — “I had read a letter from Marie.”
- “Du wirst die Zeitung jeden Morgen gelesen haben.” — “You will have read the newspaper every morning.”
- “Er lese einen Brief von Marie.” — “He reads a letter from Marie.”
- “Ich hätte ein Buch am Abend gelesen.” — “I would have read a book in the evening.”
- “Lies ein Buch am Abend!” — “Read a book in the evening!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich lesen ein Buch am Abend.”
✓ Right: “Ich lese ein Buch am Abend.”
The infinitive lesen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form lese.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich lesen ein Buch am Abend.”
✓ Right: “Ich lese ein Buch am Abend.”
lesen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with lese.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich lese ein Buch am Abend gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe ein Buch am Abend gelesen.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gelesen, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin ein Buch am Abend gelesen.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe ein Buch am Abend gelesen.”
The Perfekt of lesen is formed with haben plus the past participle gelesen: the ich form is habe gelesen. 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 las ein Buch am Abend gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe ein Buch am Abend gelesen.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gelesen is the usual past tense. The preterite las is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Lies ein Buch am Abend!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Lest ein Buch am Abend!”
The du imperative lies is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form lest.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on lesen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of lesen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) liest
- B) lesen
- C) lest
- D) lese
What is the er/sie/es form of lesen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) las
- B) lasest
- C) lasen
- D) last
What is the er/sie/es form of lesen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hat gelesen
- B) habe gelesen
- C) hast gelesen
- D) haben gelesen
What is the du form of lesen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst lesen
- B) werde lesen
- C) wird lesen
- D) werden lesen
What is the ich form of lesen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) läse
- B) läsest
- C) läsen
- D) läset
What is the wir form of lesen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattet gelesen
- B) hatten gelesen
- C) hatte gelesen
- D) hattest gelesen
What is the er/sie/es form of lesen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) lesest
- B) lesen
- C) leset
- D) lese
What is the du form of lesen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) lesen
- B) lest
- C) liest
- D) lies
What is the past participle of lesen?
- A) gekannt
- B) gelesen
- C) geschrieben
- D) verstanden
What does lesen mean in English?
- A) to know
- B) to read
- C) to write
- D) to understand
Answer key
- D) lese — the ich form of lesen in the Present (Präsens) is lese. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) las — the er/sie/es form of lesen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is las. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) hat gelesen — the er/sie/es form of lesen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gelesen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) wirst lesen — the du form of lesen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst lesen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) läse — the ich form of lesen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is läse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hatten gelesen — the wir form of lesen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gelesen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) lese — the er/sie/es form of lesen in the Konjunktiv I is lese. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) lies — the du form of lesen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is lies. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) gelesen — the past participle of lesen is gelesen; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) to read — lesen means “to read” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does lesen mean in English?
lesen means “to read”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is lesen regular or irregular?
lesen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The present participle is lesend and the past participle is gelesen.
What are the participles of lesen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is lesend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gelesen — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gelesen.
Which auxiliary does lesen take in the Perfekt?
lesen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe gelesen. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle gelesen.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form läse 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 gelesen covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I read a book in the evening” in German?
Say “Ich lese ein Buch am Abend.” — “I read a book in the evening.” The ich form of the present is lese, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of lesen — every tense of lesen in one place.
- Lesen in the Perfekt tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Lesen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Schreiben conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Verstehen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Kennen 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 lesen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise lesen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise lesen with the interactive tool.