The English verb "want" means "to desire, to wish for" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "want" across all 5 tenses. New to English verbs? Start with the English verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "want" in the Present Tense
Simple Present Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | want |
| you | you (singular) | want |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | wants |
| we | we | want |
| you | you (plural) | want |
| they | they | want |
She wants a new book.
say it WONT-S
She wants a new book.
In other languages
- French Elle veut un nouveau livre.
- German Sie will ein neues Buch.
- Spanish Ella quiere un libro nuevo.
- Dutch Zij wil een nieuw boek.
I want a cold drink.
say it WONT
I want a cold drink.
In other languages
- French Je veux une boisson fraîche.
- German Ich möchte ein kaltes Getränk.
- Spanish Quiero una bebida fría.
- Dutch Ik wil een koud drankje.
How to Conjugate "want" in the Past Tense
Simple Past Actions that happened in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | wanted |
| you | you (singular) | wanted |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | wanted |
| we | we | wanted |
| you | you (plural) | wanted |
| they | they | wanted |
She wanted a new book.
say it WAN-TED
She wanted a new book.
In other languages
- French Elle voulait un nouveau livre.
- German Sie wollte ein neues Buch.
- Spanish Ella quería un libro nuevo.
- Dutch Zij wilde een nieuw boek.
I wanted a cold drink.
say it WAN-TED
I wanted a cold drink.
In other languages
- French Je voulais une boisson fraîche.
- German Ich wollte ein kaltes Getränk.
- Spanish Quería una bebida fría.
- Dutch Ik wilde een koud drankje.
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Simple Future Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | will want |
| you | you (singular) | will want |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | will want |
| we | we | will want |
| you | you (plural) | will want |
| they | they | will want |
He will want to go home.
say it HEE WILL WONT TOO GOH HOHM
He will want to go home.
In other languages
- French Il voudra rentrer à la maison.
- German Er wird nach Hause gehen wollen.
- Spanish Querrá ir a casa.
- Dutch Hij zal naar huis willen gaan.
I will want a cold drink.
say it AY WILL WONT AY KOHLD DRINK
I will want a cold drink.
In other languages
- French Je voudrai une boisson fraîche.
- German Ich werde ein kaltes Getränk wollen.
- Spanish Querré una bebida fría.
- Dutch Ik zal een koud drankje willen.
How to Conjugate "want" in the Present (-ing) Tense
Present Continuous Actions happening right now| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | am wanting |
| you | you (singular) | are wanting |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | is wanting |
| we | we | are wanting |
| you | you (plural) | are wanting |
| they | they | are wanting |
He is wanting to go home.
say it IZ WANT-ing
He is wanting to go home.
In other languages
- French Il veut rentrer chez lui.
- German Er will nach Hause gehen.
- Spanish Quiere irse a casa.
- Dutch Hij wil naar huis gaan.
I am wanting a new car.
say it AM WANT-ing
I am wanting a new car.
In other languages
- French Je veux une nouvelle voiture.
- German Ich will ein neues Auto.
- Spanish Quiero un coche nuevo.
- Dutch Ik wil een nieuwe auto.
How to Conjugate "want" in the Have done Tense
Present Perfect Actions completed with present relevance| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | have wanted |
| you | you (singular) | have wanted |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | has wanted |
| we | we | have wanted |
| you | you (plural) | have wanted |
| they | they | have wanted |
She has wanted a new bike.
say it SHEE haz WAN-ted a NOO BYK
She has wanted a new bike.
In other languages
- French Elle a voulu un nouveau vélo.
- German Sie hat ein neues Fahrrad gewollt.
- Spanish Ella ha querido una bicicleta nueva.
- Dutch Zij heeft een nieuwe fiets gewild.
I have wanted this for years.
say it AY hav WAN-ted dis for YEERZ
I have wanted this for years.
In other languages
- French J'ai voulu cela pendant des années.
- German Ich habe das seit Jahren gewollt.
- Spanish He querido esto durante años.
- Dutch Ik heb dit al jaren gewild.
Frequently Asked Questions About "want"
Is "want" regular or irregular in English?
"Want" is a regular English verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "want" mean in English?
The English verb "want" means "to desire, to wish for" in English.
How do you conjugate "want" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Simple Present): I → want, you → want, he/she/it → wants, we → want, you → want, they → want.
How many tenses does "want" have in English?
"Want" is conjugated across 5 tenses in English: Present, Past, Future, Present (-ing), Have done.
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