Probieren Conjugation in German

probieren means “to try, to taste” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 131 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You use it whenever you talk about trying the cake, 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 probieren — every tense, every person, both participles and the infinitive — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Ich probiere den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “I try the cake every day.”

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: probieren
  • English: to try, to taste
  • Verb type: Regular
  • Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
  • Pattern: weak
  • Separable: no
  • Participle I: probierend
  • Past participle (Partizip II): probiert
  • Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for probieren, 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 probieren in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.

Three things to remember about probieren

  1. 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.
  2. The perfect tenses use haben: the perfect is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle probiert. The tables on this page give the participle in the uninflected form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
  3. Partizip I is probierend and Partizip II is probiert: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because Partizip I appears in adjectival uses and Partizip II 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 probieren. 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 probiere
du probierst
er/sie/es probiert
wir probieren
ihr probiert
sie/Sie probieren

The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich probiere das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “I try the new recipe every day.”

Preterite (Präteritum)

Person Form
ich probierte
du probiertest
er/sie/es probierte
wir probierten
ihr probiertet
sie/Sie probierten

The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du probiertest das neue Rezept gestern.” — “You tried the new recipe yesterday.”

Perfect (Perfekt)

Person Form
ich habe probiert
du hast probiert
er/sie/es hat probiert
wir haben probiert
ihr habt probiert
sie/Sie haben probiert

The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat das neue Rezept probiert gestern.” — “He has tried the new recipe yesterday.”

Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)

Person Form
ich hatte probiert
du hattest probiert
er/sie/es hatte probiert
wir hatten probiert
ihr hattet probiert
sie/Sie hatten probiert

The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Wir hatten das neue Rezept probiert vor der Party.” — “We had tried the new recipe before the party.”

Future (Futur I)

Person Form
ich werde probieren
du wirst probieren
er/sie/es wird probieren
wir werden probieren
ihr werdet probieren
sie/Sie werden probieren

The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Ich werde das neue Rezept probieren morgen.” — “I will try the new recipe tomorrow.”

Future perfect (Futur II)

Person Form
ich werde probiert haben
du wirst probiert haben
er/sie/es wird probiert haben
wir werden probiert haben
ihr werdet probiert haben
sie/Sie werden probiert haben

The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst das neue Rezept probiert haben bis morgen.” — “You will have tried the new recipe by tomorrow.”

Konjunktiv I

Person Form
ich probiere
du probierest
er/sie/es probiere
wir probieren
ihr probiert
sie/Sie probieren

Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech and indirect quotation. For example: “Es ist wichtig, dass er probiere das neue Rezept.” — “It is important that he try the new recipe.”

Konjunktiv II

Person Form
ich probierte
du probiertest
er/sie/es probierte
wir probierten
ihr probiertet
sie/Sie probierten

Konjunktiv II is used for wishes, hypothetical situations and polite requests. It doubles as the conditional: there is no separate würde tense in the tables, and the periphrastic alternative with würde plus the infinitive is a way of expressing the same meaning, not a tense of its own. For example: “Ich probierte das neue Rezept eines Tages.” — “I would try the new recipe one day.”

Conditional perfect

Person Form
ich hätte probiert
du hättest probiert
er/sie/es hätte probiert
wir hätten probiert
ihr hättet probiert
sie/Sie hätten probiert

The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte das neue Rezept probiert gestern.” — “He would have tried the new recipe yesterday.”

Imperative

Person Form
du probier
wir probieren
ihr probiert
sie probieren

The imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Probier das neue Rezept!” — “Try the new recipe!”

Present participle (Partizip I)

Form German
Present participle probierend

The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective and for describing an action in progress. For example, the participle probierend describes something that is trying. The present-tense sentence “Ich probiere den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “I try the cake every day.” shows the same verb in action.

Past participle (Partizip II)

Form German
Past participle probiert

The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe den Kuchen probiert gestern.” — “I have tried the cake yesterday.”

Infinitive

Form German
Infinitive probieren

The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and in infinitive constructions. The infinitive probieren is the form you look up in a dictionary. In a sentence it appears after a modal verb or with zu, and in the future it follows werden, as in “Ich werde den Kuchen probieren morgen.” — “I will try the cake tomorrow.”

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with probieren, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.

  1. “Ich probiere den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “I try the cake every day.”
  2. “Du probiertest das neue Rezept gestern.” — “You tried the new recipe yesterday.”
  3. “Er hat die Suppe probiert gestern.” — “He has tried the soup yesterday.”
  4. “Wir hatten den Kuchen probiert vor der Party.” — “We had tried the cake before the party.”
  5. “Ich werde das neue Rezept probieren morgen.” — “I will try the new recipe tomorrow.”
  6. “Du wirst die Suppe probiert haben bis morgen.” — “You will have tried the soup by tomorrow.”
  7. “Es ist wichtig, dass er probiere den Kuchen.” — “It is important that he try the cake.”
  8. “Ich probierte das neue Rezept eines Tages.” — “I would try the new recipe one day.”
  9. “Er hätte die Suppe probiert gestern.” — “He would have tried the soup yesterday.”
  10. “Probier den Kuchen!” — “Try the cake!”

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Ich probieren den Kuchen.”

✓ Right: “Ich probiere den Kuchen.”

The infinitive probieren never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form probiere.

2. Using the wrong person’s form

✗ Wrong: “Ich probieren den Kuchen.”

✓ Right: “Ich probiere den Kuchen.”

probieren is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with probiere.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Ich probiere den Kuchen gestern.”

✓ Right: “Ich habe den Kuchen probiert gestern.”

The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe probiert, not the present.

4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich probiere den Kuchen.”

✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich probiere den Kuchen.”

After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use probiere here, not the indicative probiere.

5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt

✗ Wrong: “Ich bin probiert den Kuchen.”

✓ Right: “habe probiert den Kuchen.”

The Perfekt of probieren is formed with haben plus the past participle probiert: the ich form is habe probiert. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.

6. Using the preterite for a daily habit

✗ Wrong: “Ich probierte den Kuchen jeden Tag.”

✓ Right: “Ich probiere den Kuchen jeden Tag.”

The preterite probierte describes a past action. For something you do every day, use the present probiere.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on probieren. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. What is the ich form of probieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) probiere
    • B) probierst
    • C) probiert
    • D) probieren

  2. What is the du form of probieren in the Preterite (Präteritum)?

    • A) probiertet
    • B) probiertest
    • C) probierte
    • D) probierten

  3. What is the er/sie/es form of probieren in the Perfect (Perfekt)?

    • A) hat probiert
    • B) habe probiert
    • C) hast probiert
    • D) haben probiert

  4. What is the wir form of probieren in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?

    • A) hattet probiert
    • B) hatten probiert
    • C) hatte probiert
    • D) hattest probiert

  5. What is the du form of probieren in the Future (Futur I)?

    • A) werden probieren
    • B) wirst probieren
    • C) werde probieren
    • D) wird probieren

  6. What is the ich form of probieren in the Future perfect (Futur II)?

    • A) werde probiert haben
    • B) wirst probiert haben
    • C) wird probiert haben
    • D) werden probiert haben

  7. What is the er/sie/es form of probieren in the Konjunktiv I?

    • A) probiere
    • B) probierest
    • C) probieren
    • D) probiert

  8. What is the ich form of probieren in the Konjunktiv II?

    • A) probierte
    • B) probiertest
    • C) probierten
    • D) probiertet

  9. What is the present participle (Partizip I) of probieren?

    • A) meinend
    • B) vergessend
    • C) probierend
    • D) glaubend

  10. What does probieren mean in English?

  • A) to mean
  • B) to forget
  • C) to try, to taste
  • D) to believe

Answer key

  1. A) probiere — the ich form of probieren in the Present (Präsens) is probiere. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. B) probiertest — the du form of probieren in the Preterite (Präteritum) is probiertest. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. A) hat probiert — the er/sie/es form of probieren in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat probiert. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. B) hatten probiert — the wir form of probieren in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten probiert. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) wirst probieren — the du form of probieren in the Future (Futur I) is wirst probieren. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. A) werde probiert haben — the ich form of probieren in the Future perfect (Futur II) is werde probiert haben. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. A) probiere — the er/sie/es form of probieren in the Konjunktiv I is probiere. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) probierte — the ich form of probieren in the Konjunktiv II is probierte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. C) probierend — the present participle (Partizip I) of probieren is probierend. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. C) to try, to taste — probieren means “to try, to taste” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does probieren mean in English?

probieren means “to try, to taste”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.

Is probieren regular or irregular?

probieren is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. Partizip I is probierend and Partizip II is probiert.

What are the participles of probieren?

Partizip I is probierend — use it as an adjective. Partizip II is probiert — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe probiert.

Which auxiliary does probieren take in the Perfekt?

probieren takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe probiert. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle probiert.

How do I say “I try” in German?

Say “Ich probiere den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “I try the cake every day.” The ich form of the present is probiere, and it is the form you will use most often.

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