Liegen Conjugation in German
liegen means “to lie” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 33 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich liege auf dem Bett.” — “I lie on the bed.” — 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 liegen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: liegen
- English: to lie
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
- Present participle (Partizip I): liegend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gelegen
- 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 liegen, 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 liegen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about liegen
- 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 gelegen. 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 liegend and gelegen: 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 liegen. 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 | liege |
| du | liegst |
| er/sie/es | liegt |
| wir | liegen |
| ihr | liegt |
| sie/Sie | liegen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With liegen 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 liege im Garten in der Sonne.” — “I lie in the garden in the sun.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | lag |
| du | lagst |
| er/sie/es | lag |
| wir | lagen |
| ihr | lagt |
| sie/Sie | lagen |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With liegen 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 lagst im Garten in der Sonne.” — “You lay in the garden in the sun.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe gelegen |
| du | hast gelegen |
| er/sie/es | hat gelegen |
| wir | haben gelegen |
| ihr | habt gelegen |
| sie/Sie | haben gelegen |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat im Garten in der Sonne gelegen.” — “He has lain in the garden in the sun.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte gelegen |
| du | hattest gelegen |
| er/sie/es | hatte gelegen |
| wir | hatten gelegen |
| ihr | hattet gelegen |
| sie/Sie | hatten gelegen |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte im Garten in der Sonne gelegen.” — “I had lain in the garden in the sun.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde liegen |
| du | wirst liegen |
| er/sie/es | wird liegen |
| wir | werden liegen |
| ihr | werdet liegen |
| sie/Sie | werden liegen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde im Garten in der Sonne liegen.” — “I will lie in the garden in the sun.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gelegen haben |
| du | wirst gelegen haben |
| er/sie/es | wird gelegen haben |
| wir | werden gelegen haben |
| ihr | werdet gelegen haben |
| sie/Sie | werden gelegen haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst im Garten in der Sonne gelegen haben.” — “You will have lain in the garden in the sun.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | liege |
| du | liegest |
| er/sie/es | liege |
| wir | liegen |
| ihr | lieget |
| sie/Sie | liegen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er liege im Garten in der Sonne.” — “He lies in the garden in the sun.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | läge |
| du | lägest |
| er/sie/es | läge |
| wir | lägen |
| ihr | läget |
| sie/Sie | lägen |
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 läge im Garten in der Sonne.” — “I would lie in the garden in the sun.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte gelegen |
| du | hättest gelegen |
| er/sie/es | hätte gelegen |
| wir | hätten gelegen |
| ihr | hättet gelegen |
| sie/Sie | hätten gelegen |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte im Garten in der Sonne gelegen.” — “He would have lain in the garden in the sun.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | lieg |
| wir | liegen |
| ihr | liegt |
| sie/Sie | liegen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. With liegen 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: “Lieg im Garten in der Sonne!” — “Lie in the garden in the sun!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | liegend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle liegend 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) | gelegen |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe auf dem Bett gelegen.” — “I have lain on the bed.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | liegen |
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 liegen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich liege auf dem Bett.” — “I lie on the bed.”
- “Du lagst im Garten in der Sonne.” — “You lay in the garden in the sun.”
- “Er hat neben dem Buch auf dem Tisch gelegen.” — “He has lain next to the book on the table.”
- “Ich werde auf dem Bett liegen.” — “I will lie on the bed.”
- “Du lägest im Garten in der Sonne.” — “You would lie in the garden in the sun.”
- “Ich hatte neben dem Buch auf dem Tisch gelegen.” — “I had lain next to the book on the table.”
- “Du wirst im Garten in der Sonne gelegen haben.” — “You will have lain in the garden in the sun.”
- “Er liege neben dem Buch auf dem Tisch.” — “He lies next to the book on the table.”
- “Ich hätte auf dem Bett gelegen.” — “I would have lain on the bed.”
- “Lieg auf dem Bett!” — “Lie on the bed!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich liegen auf dem Bett.”
✓ Right: “Ich liege auf dem Bett.”
The infinitive liegen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form liege.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich liegen auf dem Bett.”
✓ Right: “Ich liege auf dem Bett.”
liegen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with liege.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich liege auf dem Bett gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe auf dem Bett gelegen.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gelegen, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin auf dem Bett gelegen.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe auf dem Bett gelegen.”
The Perfekt of liegen is formed with haben plus the past participle gelegen: the ich form is habe gelegen. 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 lag auf dem Bett gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe auf dem Bett gelegen.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gelegen is the usual past tense. The preterite lag is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Lieg auf dem Bett!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Liegt auf dem Bett!”
The du imperative lieg is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form liegt.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on liegen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of liegen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) liegt
- B) liegen
- C) liege
- D) liegst
What is the er/sie/es form of liegen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) lag
- B) lagst
- C) lagen
- D) lagt
What is the er/sie/es form of liegen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hat gelegen
- B) habe gelegen
- C) hast gelegen
- D) haben gelegen
What is the du form of liegen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werde liegen
- B) wird liegen
- C) werden liegen
- D) wirst liegen
What is the ich form of liegen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) läge
- B) lägest
- C) lägen
- D) läget
What is the wir form of liegen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattet gelegen
- B) hatten gelegen
- C) hatte gelegen
- D) hattest gelegen
What is the er/sie/es form of liegen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) liegen
- B) lieget
- C) liege
- D) liegest
What is the du form of liegen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) liegen
- B) liegt
- C) liegst
- D) lieg
What is the past participle of liegen?
- A) gesprochen
- B) gelegen
- C) geheißen
- D) gedacht
What does liegen mean in English?
- A) to be called
- B) to think
- C) to speak
- D) to lie
Answer key
- C) liege — the ich form of liegen in the Present (Präsens) is liege. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) lag — the er/sie/es form of liegen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is lag. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) hat gelegen — the er/sie/es form of liegen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gelegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) wirst liegen — the du form of liegen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst liegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) läge — the ich form of liegen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is läge. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hatten gelegen — the wir form of liegen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gelegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) liege — the er/sie/es form of liegen in the Konjunktiv I is liege. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) lieg — the du form of liegen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is lieg. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) gelegen — the past participle of liegen is gelegen; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- D) to lie — liegen means “to lie” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does liegen mean in English?
liegen means “to lie”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is liegen regular or irregular?
liegen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The present participle is liegend and the past participle is gelegen.
What are the participles of liegen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is liegend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gelegen — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gelegen.
Which auxiliary does liegen take in the Perfekt?
liegen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe gelegen. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle gelegen.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form läge 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 gelegen covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I lie on the bed” in German?
Say “Ich liege auf dem Bett.” — “I lie on the bed.” The ich form of the present is liege, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of liegen — every tense of liegen in one place.
- Liegen in the Perfekt tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Liegen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Heißen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Denken conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Sprechen 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 liegen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise liegen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise liegen with the interactive tool.