Sparen Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German
How do you actually use sparen — “to save” — in a real sentence? This page shows you: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue, the mistakes learners make most often with this verb, and a quiz to test yourself. Every German form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for sparen. Start with the simplest sentence: “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.” — “I save money for the holiday.”
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sparen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Sparen in real sentences
Twelve sentences with sparen, covering the present, the Präteritum, the Perfekt, the Plusquamperfekt, the future, Konjunktiv I and II, and the imperative. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.” — “I save money for the holiday.”
- “Du sparst Geld für den Urlaub.” — “You save money for the holiday.”
- “Er spart Geld für den Urlaub.” — “He saves money for the holiday.”
- “Ich sparte Geld für den Urlaub.” — “I saved money for the holiday.”
- “Wir sparten Geld für den Urlaub.” — “We saved money for the holiday.”
- “Ich habe Geld für den Urlaub gespart.” — “I have saved money for the holiday.”
- “Du hast Geld für den Urlaub gespart.” — “You have saved money for the holiday.”
- “Ich hatte Geld für den Urlaub gespart.” — “I had saved money for the holiday.”
- “Wir werden Geld für den Urlaub sparen.” — “We will save money for the holiday.”
- “Ich werde Geld für den Urlaub gespart haben.” — “I will have saved money for the holiday.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass ich Geld für den Urlaub spare.” — “It is important that I save money for the holiday.”
- “Ich sparte Geld für den Urlaub.” — “I would save money for the holiday if I could.”
- “Ich hätte Geld für den Urlaub gespart.” — “I would have saved money for the holiday if I had been able to.”
- “Spar Geld für den Urlaub!” — “Save money for the holiday!”
A short dialogue with sparen
Anna and Ben talk about their plans. Every form of sparen in the dialogue comes from the verified tables — read it aloud, changing the person each time.
Anna: “Du sparst Geld für den Urlaub?” — “You save money for the holiday?”
Ben: “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.” — “I save money for the holiday.”
Anna: “Du hast Geld für den Urlaub gespart?” — “You have saved money for the holiday?”
Ben: “Ich habe Geld für den Urlaub gespart.” — “I have saved money for the holiday.”
Anna: “Du wirst Geld für den Urlaub sparen?” — “You will save money for the holiday?”
Ben: “Ich werde Geld für den Urlaub sparen.” — “I will save money for the holiday.”
Anna: “Spar Geld für den Urlaub!” — “Save money for the holiday!”
Ben: “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.” — “I save money for the holiday.”
Notice how the verb changes with the person and the tense while the meaning stays the same: spare, sparst, habe gespart, werde sparen. If you can follow this dialogue without looking at the tables, you know sparen well enough to use it.
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich sparen Geld für den Urlaub.”
✓ Right: “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.”
The infinitive sparen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form spare.
2. Confusing sparen with ausgeben
✗ Wrong: “Ich ausgeben Geld für den Urlaub.” (using the wrong verb)
✓ Right: “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.”
sparen means “to save”; ausgeben means “to spend”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.
3. Using the present for a finished past event
✗ Wrong: “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe Geld für den Urlaub gespart.”
Yesterday’s finished event needs the Perfekt (habe gespart), not the present.
4. Using the indicative after a Konjunktiv I trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass du Geld für den Urlaub sparst.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass du Geld für den Urlaub sparest.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use sparest here, not the indicative sparst.
Quiz: test yourself
What is the ich form of sparen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) spare
- B) sparst
- C) sparen
- D) spart
What is the er/sie/es form of sparen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) sparst
- B) spare
- C) sparen
- D) spart
What is the du form of sparen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) sparten
- B) spartet
- C) spartest
- D) sparte
What is the wir form of sparen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) habe gespart
- B) hast gespart
- C) haben gespart
- D) hat gespart
What is the ich form of sparen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst sparen
- B) werdet sparen
- C) werde sparen
- D) wird sparen
What is the du form of sparen in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) sparte
- B) spartet
- C) spartest
- D) sparten
What is the ich form of sparen in the Conditional perfect?
- A) hättet gespart
- B) hättest gespart
- C) hätte gespart
- D) hätten gespart
What is the past participle of sparen?
- A) sparend
- B) spare
- C) gespart
- D) sparte
What is the present participle of sparen?
- A) werde sparen
- B) gespart
- C) sparend
- D) spare
What does sparen mean in English?
- A) to spend
- B) to save
- C) to come
- D) to do
Answer key
- A) spare — the ich form of sparen in the present tense is spare.
- D) spart — the er/sie/es form of sparen in the present tense is spart.
- C) spartest — the du form of sparen in the preterite is spartest.
- C) haben gespart — the wir form of sparen in the Perfekt is haben gespart.
- C) werde sparen — the ich form of sparen in the Futur I is werde sparen.
- C) spartest — the du form of sparen in the Konjunktiv II is spartest.
- C) hätte gespart — the ich form of sparen in the conditional perfect is hätte gespart.
- C) gespart — the past participle of sparen is gespart; perfect tenses use haben + gespart.
- C) sparend — the present participle of sparen is sparend.
- B) to save — sparen means “to save” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does sparen mean in English?
sparen means “to save”. The examples above show it in everyday situations — for example, “Ich spare Geld für den Urlaub.” (“I save money for the holiday.”).
Is sparen regular or irregular?
sparen is regular: its endings follow the standard weak pattern in every tense. The full tables are on the conjugation page.
How do I use sparen in the Perfekt?
Use haben + the past participle gespart: “Ich habe Geld für den Urlaub gespart.” — “I have saved money for the holiday.” The full Perfekt table is on the conjugation page.
Related pages
- sparen conjugation — the full conjugation tables for this verb in every tense.
- sparen in the present tense — the full table and uses for this verb in one tense.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- German present tense guide — how this tense works for regular verbs.
- Einladen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Treffen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Verb Conjugator — practise sparen with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise sparen with the interactive tool.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise the present tense with the interactive tool.
- VerbFlow home — back to the start.