The German verb "helfen" means "to help" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "helfen" across all 7 tenses. New to German verbs? Start with the German verb guide.
Jump to a tense
How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Present Tense
Präsens Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | helfe |
| du | you (informal) | hilfst |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hilft |
| wir | we | helfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | helft |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | helfen |
Er hilft seiner Mutter.
say it AIR HILFT ZAY-ner MOOT-ter
He helps his mother.
In other languages
- French Il aide sa mère.
- Spanish Él ayuda a su madre.
- Dutch Hij helpt zijn moeder.
Ich helfe dir gerne.
say it ISH HEL-feh deer GER-neh
I help you gladly.
In other languages
- French Je t'aide volontiers.
- Spanish Te ayudo con gusto.
- Dutch Ik help je graag.
How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Simple Past Tense
Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | half |
| du | you (informal) | halfst |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | half |
| wir | we | halfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | halft |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | halfen |
Er half der alten Dame heute.
say it AIR HALF dair AL-ten DAH-meh HOY-teh
He helped the old lady today.
In other languages
- French Il a aidé la vieille dame aujourd'hui.
- Spanish Él ayudó a la anciana hoy.
- Dutch Hij heeft de oude dame vandaag geholpen.
Ich half meinem Freund beim Umzug.
say it ISH HALF MAY-nem FROYNT baym OOM-tsoog
I helped my friend with the move.
In other languages
- French J'ai aidé mon ami avec le déménagement.
- Spanish Ayudé a mi amigo con la mudanza.
- Dutch Ik heb mijn vriend geholpen met de verhuizing.
Want to actually remember these?
VerbPal drills "helfen" in real German sentences using spaced repetition.
Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "helfen" in the Present Perfect Tense
Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe geholfen |
| du | you (informal) | hast geholfen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hat geholfen |
| wir | we | haben geholfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | habt geholfen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | haben geholfen |
Er hat ihr geholfen.
say it ER HAT EER GE-HOL-fen
He has helped her.
In other languages
- French Il l'a aidée.
- Spanish Él la ha ayudado.
- Dutch Hij heeft haar geholpen.
Ich habe dir geholfen.
say it ISH HAH-beh DEER GE-HOL-fen
I have helped you.
In other languages
- French Je t'ai aidé.
- Spanish Te he ayudado.
- Dutch Ik heb je geholpen.
How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Past Perfect Tense
Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hatte geholfen |
| du | you (informal) | hattest geholfen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hatte geholfen |
| wir | we | hatten geholfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hattet geholfen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hatten geholfen |
Er hatte ihr geholfen.
say it ER HAH-teh EER GE-HOL-fen
He had helped her.
In other languages
- French Il l'avait aidée.
- Spanish Él la había ayudado.
- Dutch Hij had haar geholpen.
Ich hatte dir geholfen.
say it ISH HAH-teh DEER GE-HOL-fen
I had helped you.
In other languages
- French Je t'avais aidé.
- Spanish Te había ayudado.
- Dutch Ik had je geholpen.
How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Future Tense
Futur I Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | werde helfen |
| du | you (informal) | wirst helfen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wird helfen |
| wir | we | werden helfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | werdet helfen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | werden helfen |
Er wird ihr helfen.
say it ehr VEERT eer HEL-fen
He will help her.
In other languages
- French Il l'aidera.
- Spanish Él la ayudará.
- Dutch Hij zal haar helpen.
Ich werde dir helfen.
say it ikh VEHR-deh deer HEL-fen
I will help you.
In other languages
- French Je t'aiderai.
- Spanish Te ayudaré.
- Dutch Ik zal je helpen.
How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Subjunctive I Tense
Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | helfe |
| du | you (informal) | helfest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | helfe |
| wir | we | helfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | helfet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | helfen |
Er helfe den Armen.
say it ER HEL-fe den AR-men
He may help the poor.
In other languages
- French Il peut aider les pauvres.
- Spanish Él puede ayudar a los pobres.
- Dutch Hij mag de armen helpen.
Ich helfe dir gerne.
say it ISH HEL-fe DEER GER-neh
I help you gladly.
In other languages
- French Je t'aide volontiers.
- Spanish Te ayudo con gusto.
- Dutch Ik help je graag.
How to Conjugate "helfen" in the Subjunctive II Tense
Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hülfe |
| du | you (informal) | hülfest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hülfe |
| wir | we | hülfen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hülfet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hülfen |
Er hülfe gern beim Kochen.
say it ER HEWL-fe gern baym KOKH-en
He would like to help with cooking.
In other languages
- French Il aimerait aider à cuisiner.
- Spanish A él le gustaría ayudar con la cocina.
- Dutch Hij zou graag willen helpen met koken.
Ich hülfe dir gern heute.
say it ISH HEWL-fe deer gern HOY-te
I would like to help you today.
In other languages
- French J'aimerais vous aider aujourd'hui.
- Spanish Me gustaría ayudarte hoy.
- Dutch Ik zou je vandaag graag willen helpen.
Frequently Asked Questions About "helfen"
Is "helfen" regular or irregular in German?
"Helfen" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "helfen" mean in English?
The German verb "helfen" means "to help" in English.
How do you conjugate "helfen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → helfe, du → hilfst, er/sie/es → hilft, wir → helfen, ihr → helft, sie/Sie → helfen.
How many tenses does "helfen" have in German?
"Helfen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.
Master German verbs for real
Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.
Try VerbPal Free3-day free trial. Cancel anytime.