Umsteigen Conjugation in German

umsteigen means “to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 823 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You use it whenever you talk about changing in Berlin onto the train, 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 umsteigen — 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 steige in Berlin in den Zug um jeden Tag.” — “I change in Berlin onto the train every day.”

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: umsteigen
  • English: to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer
  • Verb type: Irregular
  • Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
  • Pattern: strong
  • Separable: yes — the prefix um splits off in finite forms, as in steige um
  • Participle I: umsteigend
  • Past participle (Partizip II): umgestiegen
  • Auxiliary: sein (all perfect tenses are formed with sein + the past participle)

Pronunciation

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

Three things to remember about umsteigen

  1. 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.
  2. The perfect tenses use sein: the perfect is formed with sein in the present plus the past participle umgestiegen. 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 umsteigend and Partizip II is umgestiegen: 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 umsteigen. 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 steige um
du steigst um
er/sie/es steigt um
wir steigen um
ihr steigt um
sie/Sie steigen um

The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With umsteigen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix um goes to the end of the clause, as in steige um. For example: “Ich steige am Bahnhof in den Bus um jeden Tag.” — “I change at the station onto the bus every day.”

Preterite (Präteritum)

Person Form
ich stieg um
du stiegst um
er/sie/es stieg um
wir stiegen um
ihr stiegt um
sie/Sie stiegen um

The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With umsteigen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix um goes to the end of the clause, as in stieg um. For example: “Du stiegst am Bahnhof in den Bus um gestern.” — “You changed at the station onto the bus yesterday.”

Perfect (Perfekt)

Person Form
ich bin umgestiegen
du bist umgestiegen
er/sie/es ist umgestiegen
wir sind umgestiegen
ihr seid umgestiegen
sie/Sie sind umgestiegen

The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er ist am Bahnhof in den Bus umgestiegen gestern.” — “He has changed at the station onto the bus yesterday.”

Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)

Person Form
ich war umgestiegen
du warst umgestiegen
er/sie/es war umgestiegen
wir waren umgestiegen
ihr wart umgestiegen
sie/Sie waren umgestiegen

The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Wir waren am Bahnhof in den Bus umgestiegen vor der Party.” — “We had changed at the station onto the bus before the party.”

Future (Futur I)

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

The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Ich werde am Bahnhof in den Bus umsteigen morgen.” — “I will change at the station onto the bus tomorrow.”

Future perfect (Futur II)

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

The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst am Bahnhof in den Bus umgestiegen sein bis morgen.” — “You will have changed at the station onto the bus by tomorrow.”

Konjunktiv I

Person Form
ich steige um
du steigest um
er/sie/es steige um
wir steigen um
ihr steiget um
sie/Sie steigen um

Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech and indirect quotation. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix um goes to the end of the clause, as in steige um. For example: “Es ist wichtig, dass er umsteige am Bahnhof in den Bus.” — “It is important that he change at the station onto the bus.”

Konjunktiv II

Person Form
ich stiege um
du stiegest um
er/sie/es stiege um
wir stiegen um
ihr stieget um
sie/Sie stiegen um

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. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix um goes to the end of the clause, as in stiege um. For example: “Ich stiege am Bahnhof in den Bus um eines Tages.” — “I would change at the station onto the bus one day.”

Conditional perfect

Person Form
ich wäre umgestiegen
du wärst umgestiegen
er/sie/es wäre umgestiegen
wir wären umgestiegen
ihr wärt umgestiegen
sie/Sie wären umgestiegen

The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er wäre am Bahnhof in den Bus umgestiegen gestern.” — “He would have changed at the station onto the bus yesterday.”

Imperative

Person Form
du steig um
wir umsteigen
ihr steigt um
sie umsteigen

The imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. With umsteigen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. Note the separable prefix: in finite forms the prefix um goes to the end of the clause, as in steig um. For example: “Steig am Bahnhof in den Bus um!” — “Change at the station onto the bus!”

Present participle (Partizip I)

Form German
Present participle umsteigend

The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective and for describing an action in progress. For example, the participle umsteigend describes something that is changing. The present-tense sentence “Ich steige in Berlin in den Zug um jeden Tag.” — “I change in Berlin onto the train every day.” shows the same verb in action.

Past participle (Partizip II)

Form German
Past participle umgestiegen

The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich bin in Berlin in den Zug umgestiegen gestern.” — “I have changed in Berlin onto the train yesterday.”

Infinitive

Form German
Infinitive umsteigen

The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and in infinitive constructions. The infinitive umsteigen 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 in Berlin in den Zug umsteigen morgen.” — “I will change in Berlin onto the train tomorrow.”

Example sentences

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

  1. “Ich steige in Berlin in den Zug um jeden Tag.” — “I change in Berlin onto the train every day.”
  2. “Du stiegst am Bahnhof in den Bus um gestern.” — “You changed at the station onto the bus yesterday.”
  3. “Er ist in München in die U-Bahn umgestiegen gestern.” — “He has changed in Munich onto the underground yesterday.”
  4. “Wir waren in Berlin in den Zug umgestiegen vor der Party.” — “We had changed in Berlin onto the train before the party.”
  5. “Ich werde am Bahnhof in den Bus umsteigen morgen.” — “I will change at the station onto the bus tomorrow.”
  6. “Du wirst in München in die U-Bahn umgestiegen sein bis morgen.” — “You will have changed in Munich onto the underground by tomorrow.”
  7. “Es ist wichtig, dass er umsteige in Berlin in den Zug.” — “It is important that he change in Berlin onto the train.”
  8. “Ich stiege am Bahnhof in den Bus um eines Tages.” — “I would change at the station onto the bus one day.”
  9. “Er wäre in München in die U-Bahn umgestiegen gestern.” — “He would have changed in Munich onto the underground yesterday.”
  10. “Steig in Berlin in den Zug um!” — “Change in Berlin onto the train!”

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Ich umsteigen in Berlin in den Zug.”

✓ Right: “Ich steige um in Berlin in den Zug.”

The infinitive umsteigen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form steige um.

2. Using the wrong person’s form

✗ Wrong: “Ich steigen um in Berlin in den Zug.”

✓ Right: “Ich steige um in Berlin in den Zug.”

steigen um is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with steige um.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Ich steige um in Berlin in den Zug gestern.”

✓ Right: “Ich bin in Berlin in den Zug umgestiegen gestern.”

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

4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich steige um in Berlin in den Zug.”

✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich umsteige in Berlin in den Zug.”

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

5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt

✗ Wrong: “Ich habe umgestiegen in Berlin in den Zug.”

✓ Right: “bin umgestiegen in Berlin in den Zug.”

The Perfekt of umsteigen is formed with sein plus the past participle umgestiegen: the ich form is bin umgestiegen. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.

6. Keeping the separable prefix attached in a main clause

✗ Wrong: “Ich umsteige in Berlin in den Zug.”

✓ Right: “Ich steige in Berlin in den Zug um.”

umsteigen is separable: in a main clause the prefix um goes to the end, so the ich form is steige um, not umsteige.

Quiz: test yourself

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

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

    • A) steigen um
    • B) steige um
    • C) steigst um
    • D) steigt um

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

    • A) stieg um
    • B) stiegen um
    • C) stiegt um
    • D) stiegst um

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

    • A) bin umgestiegen
    • B) bist umgestiegen
    • C) sind umgestiegen
    • D) ist umgestiegen

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

    • A) warst umgestiegen
    • B) wart umgestiegen
    • C) waren umgestiegen
    • D) war umgestiegen

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

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

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

    • A) werden umgestiegen sein
    • B) werde umgestiegen sein
    • C) wirst umgestiegen sein
    • D) wird umgestiegen sein

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

    • A) steiget um
    • B) steige um
    • C) steigest um
    • D) steigen um

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

    • A) stieget um
    • B) stiege um
    • C) stiegest um
    • D) stiegen um

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

    • A) reisend
    • B) besuchend
    • C) kostend
    • D) umsteigend

  10. What does umsteigen mean in English?

  • A) to visit
  • B) to cost
  • C) to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer
  • D) to travel

Answer key

  1. B) steige um — the ich form of umsteigen in the Present (Präsens) is steige um. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. D) stiegst um — the du form of umsteigen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is stiegst um. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) ist umgestiegen — the er/sie/es form of umsteigen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is ist umgestiegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. C) waren umgestiegen — the wir form of umsteigen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is waren umgestiegen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. C) wirst umsteigen — the du form of umsteigen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst umsteigen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. B) werde umgestiegen sein — the ich form of umsteigen in the Future perfect (Futur II) is werde umgestiegen sein. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. B) steige um — the er/sie/es form of umsteigen in the Konjunktiv I is steige um. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. B) stiege um — the ich form of umsteigen in the Konjunktiv II is stiege um. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. D) umsteigend — the present participle (Partizip I) of umsteigen is umsteigend. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. C) to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer — umsteigen means “to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does umsteigen mean in English?

umsteigen means “to change (trains, vehicles), to transfer”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.

Is umsteigen regular or irregular?

umsteigen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Partizip I is umsteigend and Partizip II is umgestiegen.

What are the participles of umsteigen?

Partizip I is umsteigend — use it as an adjective. Partizip II is umgestiegen — use it with sein for the perfect tenses, as in bin umgestiegen.

Which auxiliary does umsteigen take in the Perfekt?

umsteigen takes sein in the Perfekt: the ich form is bin umgestiegen. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with sein plus the past participle umgestiegen.

How do I say “I change” in German?

Say “Ich steige in Berlin in den Zug um jeden Tag.” — “I change in Berlin onto the train every day.” The ich form of the present is steige um, and it is the form you will use most often.

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