Nehmen Conjugation in German
nehmen means “to take” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 16 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich nehme einen Kaffee am Morgen.” — “I take a coffee in the morning.” — 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 nehmen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: nehmen
- English: to take
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
- Present participle (Partizip I): nehmend
- Past participle (Partizip II): genommen
- 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 nehmen, 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 nehmen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about nehmen
- 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 genommen. 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 nehmend and genommen: 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 nehmen. 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 | nehme |
| du | nimmst |
| er/sie/es | nimmt |
| wir | nehmen |
| ihr | nehmt |
| sie/Sie | nehmen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With nehmen 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 nehme den Zug um acht Uhr.” — “I take the train at eight o'clock.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | nahm |
| du | nahmst |
| er/sie/es | nahm |
| wir | nahmen |
| ihr | nahmt |
| sie/Sie | nahmen |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With nehmen 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 nahmst den Zug um acht Uhr.” — “You took the train at eight o'clock.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe genommen |
| du | hast genommen |
| er/sie/es | hat genommen |
| wir | haben genommen |
| ihr | habt genommen |
| sie/Sie | haben genommen |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat den Zug um acht Uhr genommen.” — “He has taken the train at eight o'clock.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte genommen |
| du | hattest genommen |
| er/sie/es | hatte genommen |
| wir | hatten genommen |
| ihr | hattet genommen |
| sie/Sie | hatten genommen |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte den Zug um acht Uhr genommen.” — “I had taken the train at eight o'clock.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde nehmen |
| du | wirst nehmen |
| er/sie/es | wird nehmen |
| wir | werden nehmen |
| ihr | werdet nehmen |
| sie/Sie | werden nehmen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde den Zug um acht Uhr nehmen.” — “I will take the train at eight o'clock.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde genommen haben |
| du | wirst genommen haben |
| er/sie/es | wird genommen haben |
| wir | werden genommen haben |
| ihr | werdet genommen haben |
| sie/Sie | werden genommen haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst den Zug um acht Uhr genommen haben.” — “You will have taken the train at eight o'clock.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | nehme |
| du | nehmest |
| er/sie/es | nehme |
| wir | nehmen |
| ihr | nehmet |
| sie/Sie | nehmen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er nehme den Zug um acht Uhr.” — “He takes the train at eight o'clock.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | nähme |
| du | nähmest |
| er/sie/es | nähme |
| wir | nähmen |
| ihr | nähmet |
| sie/Sie | nähmen |
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 nähme den Zug um acht Uhr.” — “I would take the train at eight o'clock.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte genommen |
| du | hättest genommen |
| er/sie/es | hätte genommen |
| wir | hätten genommen |
| ihr | hättet genommen |
| sie/Sie | hätten genommen |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte den Zug um acht Uhr genommen.” — “He would have taken the train at eight o'clock.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | nimm |
| wir | nehmen |
| ihr | nehmt |
| sie/Sie | nehmen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. With nehmen 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: “Nimm den Zug um acht Uhr!” — “Take the train at eight o'clock!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | nehmend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle nehmend 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) | genommen |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe einen Kaffee am Morgen genommen.” — “I have taken a coffee in the morning.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | nehmen |
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 nehmen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich nehme einen Kaffee am Morgen.” — “I take a coffee in the morning.”
- “Du nahmst den Zug um acht Uhr.” — “You took the train at eight o'clock.”
- “Er hat ein Foto von Berlin genommen.” — “He has taken a photo of Berlin.”
- “Ich werde einen Kaffee am Morgen nehmen.” — “I will take a coffee in the morning.”
- “Du nähmest den Zug um acht Uhr.” — “You would take the train at eight o'clock.”
- “Ich hatte ein Foto von Berlin genommen.” — “I had taken a photo of Berlin.”
- “Du wirst den Zug um acht Uhr genommen haben.” — “You will have taken the train at eight o'clock.”
- “Er nehme ein Foto von Berlin.” — “He takes a photo of Berlin.”
- “Ich hätte einen Kaffee am Morgen genommen.” — “I would have taken a coffee in the morning.”
- “Nimm einen Kaffee am Morgen!” — “Take a coffee in the morning!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich nehmen einen Kaffee am Morgen.”
✓ Right: “Ich nehme einen Kaffee am Morgen.”
The infinitive nehmen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form nehme.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich nehmen einen Kaffee am Morgen.”
✓ Right: “Ich nehme einen Kaffee am Morgen.”
nehmen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with nehme.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich nehme einen Kaffee am Morgen gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe einen Kaffee am Morgen genommen.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe genommen, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin einen Kaffee am Morgen genommen.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe einen Kaffee am Morgen genommen.”
The Perfekt of nehmen is formed with haben plus the past participle genommen: the ich form is habe genommen. 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 nahm einen Kaffee am Morgen gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe einen Kaffee am Morgen genommen.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe genommen is the usual past tense. The preterite nahm is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Nimm einen Kaffee am Morgen!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Nehmt einen Kaffee am Morgen!”
The du imperative nimm is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form nehmt.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on nehmen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of nehmen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) nimmst
- B) nimmt
- C) nehmen
- D) nehme
What is the er/sie/es form of nehmen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) nahm
- B) nahmst
- C) nahmen
- D) nahmt
What is the er/sie/es form of nehmen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) haben genommen
- B) hat genommen
- C) habe genommen
- D) hast genommen
What is the du form of nehmen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst nehmen
- B) werde nehmen
- C) wird nehmen
- D) werden nehmen
What is the ich form of nehmen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) nähme
- B) nähmest
- C) nähmen
- D) nähmet
What is the wir form of nehmen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattest genommen
- B) hattet genommen
- C) hatten genommen
- D) hatte genommen
What is the er/sie/es form of nehmen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) nehmest
- B) nehmen
- C) nehmet
- D) nehme
What is the du form of nehmen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) nehmen
- B) nehmt
- C) nimmst
- D) nimm
What is the past participle of nehmen?
- A) gestanden
- B) geblieben
- C) genommen
- D) gefunden
What does nehmen mean in English?
- A) to take
- B) to find
- C) to stand
- D) to stay
Answer key
- D) nehme — the ich form of nehmen in the Present (Präsens) is nehme. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) nahm — the er/sie/es form of nehmen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is nahm. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hat genommen — the er/sie/es form of nehmen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat genommen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) wirst nehmen — the du form of nehmen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst nehmen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) nähme — the ich form of nehmen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is nähme. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) hatten genommen — the wir form of nehmen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten genommen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) nehme — the er/sie/es form of nehmen in the Konjunktiv I is nehme. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) nimm — the du form of nehmen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is nimm. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) genommen — the past participle of nehmen is genommen; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- A) to take — nehmen means “to take” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does nehmen mean in English?
nehmen means “to take”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is nehmen regular or irregular?
nehmen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The present participle is nehmend and the past participle is genommen.
What are the participles of nehmen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is nehmend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is genommen — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe genommen.
Which auxiliary does nehmen take in the Perfekt?
nehmen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe genommen. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle genommen.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form nähme 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 genommen covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I take a coffee in the morning” in German?
Say “Ich nehme einen Kaffee am Morgen.” — “I take a coffee in the morning.” The ich form of the present is nehme, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of nehmen — every tense of nehmen in one place.
- Nehmen in the Perfekt tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Nehmen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Finden conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Stehen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Bleiben 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 nehmen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise nehmen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise nehmen with the interactive tool.