Wohnen in the Present (Präsens) Tense in German
Introduction
Wohnen means “to live”, and this page covers exactly one thing: wohnen in the present tense. The present is the tense German speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for wohnen, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about wohnen in the present. For example: “Ich wohne in Berlin.” — “I live in Berlin.” Everything on this page uses the forms of wohnen exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Wohnen in the Present (Präsens) Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | wohne |
| du | wohnst |
| er/sie/es | wohnt |
| wir | wohnen |
| ihr | wohnt |
| sie/Sie | wohnen |
Present participle: wohnend · Past participle: gewohnt
The present participle is wohnend, which you use as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle is gewohnt, which you use with haben in the perfect tenses: the ich form of the Perfekt is habe gewohnt, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how wohnen is used.
How the present of wohnen is formed
The present of wohnen follows the regular weak pattern: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich wohne, du wohnst, er/sie/es wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie/Sie wohnen. The wir and ihr forms are the ones learners most often get wrong, because they expect a change that is not there — learn the six forms as two groups, the singular forms and the plural forms, and the pattern becomes automatic. The stem never changes in the present for this verb, so the only work is the endings.
The present stem also feeds other tenses: the preterite and Konjunktiv II are built from the same stem family, so learning the present properly makes the rest of the conjugation easier. The participles wohnend and gewohnt belong to the same family of forms — learn them together with the present table and you will recognise wohnen in every tense.
When to use the present of wohnen
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use wohnen in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. To live in Berlin — the everyday use
The most everyday use of wohnen is in Berlin. It covers the ordinary, everyday situations where this verb appears, at home and outside. Example: “Ich wohne in Berlin.” — “I live in Berlin.”
2. To live here for ten years — a second everyday use
Wohnen also covers here for ten years. This use is very common in everyday speech, and it is the one learners meet next after the first. Example: “Du wohnst seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “You live here for ten years.”
3. To live with my family in a house — a third everyday use
In a third everyday situation, you use wohnen for with my family in a house. The same verb, the same present forms, a different situation — that is why the present is worth learning as a whole table rather than one form at a time. Example: “Er wohnt mit meiner Familie in einem Haus.” — “He lives with my family in a house.”
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and wohnen is no exception. Use time expressions such as jeden Tag, immer or jede Woche to make the routine explicit. Example: “Wir wohnen in Berlin.” — “We live in Berlin.”
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. German often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with wohnen in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Ihr wohnt seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “You live here for ten years.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the preterite describes a finished action in the past, while the present describes habits and facts that are true now. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as jeden Tag, while the preterite sentences use gestern. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present (Präsens): “Ich wohne in Berlin.” — “I live in Berlin.”
Preterite: “Ich wohnte in Berlin.” — “I lived in Berlin.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Du wohnst seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “You live here for ten years.”
Preterite: “Du wohntest seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “You lived here for ten years.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Wir wohnen mit meiner Familie in einem Haus.” — “We live with my family in a house.”
Preterite: “Wir wohnten mit meiner Familie in einem Haus.” — “We lived with my family in a house.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: wohnen in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other words — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Ich wohne seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “I live here for ten years.”
“Du wohnst mit meiner Familie in einem Haus.” — “You live with my family in a house.”
“Er wohnt in Berlin.” — “He lives in Berlin.”
“Wir wohnen seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “We live here for ten years.”
“Ihr wohnt mit meiner Familie in einem Haus.” — “You live with my family in a house.”
“Sie wohnen in Berlin.” — “They live in Berlin.”
“Ich wohne seit zehn Jahren hier.” — “I live here for ten years.”
“Du wohnst mit meiner Familie in einem Haus.” — “You live with my family in a house.”
Common mistakes with wohnen in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Ich wohnen in Berlin.” Right: “Ich wohne in Berlin.” Why: The ich form is wohne, not wohnen. Wohnen belongs with sie. Mixing the two groups is the most common error with this verb.
Wrong: “Wir wohnen in Berlin.” Right: “Wir wohnen in Berlin.” Why: Wir keeps its own form: wohnen, not wohnen. Learn wir and ihr as a separate pair from the singular forms.
Wrong: “Ich wohnen in Berlin.” (infinitive with a subject) Right: “Ich wohne in Berlin.” Why: The infinitive wohnen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form wohne.
Wrong: “Ich wohne in Berlin gestern.” (a finished past action) Right: “Ich habe in Berlin gewohnt.” Why: The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gewohnt, not the present wohne.
Quiz: wohnen in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
What is the ich form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) wohnst
- B) wohnt
- C) wohnen
- D) wohne
What is the du form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) wohnen
- B) wohnst
- C) wohne
- D) wohnt
What is the er/sie/es form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) wohnt
- B) wohne
- C) wohnst
- D) wohnen
What is the wir form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) wohnt
- B) wohnen
- C) wohne
- D) wohnst
What is the ihr form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) wohnt
- B) wohne
- C) wohnst
- D) wohnen
What is the sie/Sie form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) wohnt
- B) wohnen
- C) wohne
- D) wohnst
7. What does wohnen mean in English?
- A) to sleep
- B) to live
- C) to eat
- D) to drink
8. What is the past participle of wohnen?
- A) gewohnt
- B) gegessen
- C) getrunken
- D) geschlafen
Answer key
- D) wohne — The ich form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens) is wohne.
- B) wohnst — The du form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens) is wohnst.
- A) wohnt — The er/sie/es form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens) is wohnt.
- B) wohnen — The wir form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens) is wohnen.
- A) wohnt — The ihr form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens) is wohnt.
- B) wohnen — The sie/Sie form of wohnen in the Present (Präsens) is wohnen.
- B) to live — wohnen means “to live”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
- A) gewohnt — The past participle of wohnen is gewohnt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses, while the present tense itself is formed from the stem plus the present endings.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present of wohnen formed?
The present of wohnen is regular: take the stem and add the present endings, giving ich wohne, du wohnst, er wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie wohnen.
When do I use the present of wohnen?
Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now — for example, “Ich wohne in Berlin.” — “I live in Berlin.” For a finished past action, use the Perfekt instead.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of wohnen?
The present describes what is true now or happens regularly; the preterite describes one finished action in the past. Compare “Ich wohne in Berlin.” with “Ich wohnte in Berlin.” — the first is now, the second is the past as a finished event.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for wohnen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of wohnen — every tense of wohnen in one place.
- Wohnen in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Wohnen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Essen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Trinken conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Schlafen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- 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.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise wohnen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise wohnen with the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise wohnen with the interactive tool.