The German verb "retten" means "to save, to rescue" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "retten" across all 7 tenses. New to German verbs? Start with the German verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "retten" in the Present Tense
Präsens Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | rette |
| du | you (informal) | rettest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | rettet |
| wir | we | retten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | rettet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | retten |
Er rettet den Hund.
say it ehr RET-tet dehn hoont
He rescues the dog.
In other languages
- French Il sauve le chien.
- Spanish Él rescata al perro.
- Dutch Hij redt de hond.
Ich rette den Vogel.
say it ikh RET-teh dehn FOH-gel
I save the bird.
In other languages
- French Je sauve l'oiseau.
- Spanish Salvo al pájaro.
- Dutch Ik red de vogel.
How to Conjugate "retten" in the Simple Past Tense
Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | rettete |
| du | you (informal) | rettetest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | rettete |
| wir | we | retteten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | rettetet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | retteten |
Er rettete die Katze.
say it AIR RET-teh-teh dee KAT-seh
He saved the cat.
In other languages
- French Il a sauvé le chat.
- Spanish Él salvó al gato.
- Dutch Hij heeft de kat gered.
Ich rettete den Hund.
say it IHK RET-teh-teh dehn hoont
I saved the dog.
In other languages
- French J'ai sauvé le chien.
- Spanish Salvé al perro.
- Dutch Ik heb de hond gered.
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Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe gerettet |
| du | you (informal) | hast gerettet |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hat gerettet |
| wir | we | haben gerettet |
| ihr | you all (informal) | habt gerettet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | haben gerettet |
Er hat die Katze gerettet.
say it ehr haht dee KAHT-seh geh-RET-tet
He saved the cat.
In other languages
- French Il a sauvé le chat.
- Spanish Él salvó al gato.
- Dutch Hij heeft de kat gered.
Ich habe den Mann gerettet.
say it ikh AH-beh dehn mahn geh-RET-tet
I saved the man.
In other languages
- French J'ai sauvé l'homme.
- Spanish Salvé al hombre.
- Dutch Ik heb de man gered.
How to Conjugate "retten" in the Past Perfect Tense
Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hatte gerettet |
| du | you (informal) | hattest gerettet |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hatte gerettet |
| wir | we | hatten gerettet |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hattet gerettet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hatten gerettet |
Er hatte die Katze gerettet.
say it air HAH-teh dee KAT-seh geh-RET-et
He had saved the cat.
In other languages
- French Il avait sauvé le chat.
- Spanish Él había salvado al gato.
- Dutch Hij had de kat gered.
Ich hatte das Kind gerettet.
say it ikh HAH-teh das KINT geh-RET-et
I had saved the child.
In other languages
- French J'avais sauvé l'enfant.
- Spanish Yo había salvado al niño.
- Dutch Ik had het kind gered.
How to Conjugate "retten" in the Future Tense
Futur I Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | werde retten |
| du | you (informal) | wirst retten |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wird retten |
| wir | we | werden retten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | werdet retten |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | werden retten |
Er wird die Katze retten.
say it ehr veert dee KAT-seh RET-ten
He will rescue the cat.
In other languages
- French Il secourra le chat.
- Spanish Él rescatará al gato.
- Dutch Hij zal de kat redden.
Ich werde das Kind retten.
say it ikh VER-deh das kint RET-ten
I will save the child.
In other languages
- French Je sauverai l'enfant.
- Spanish Salvaré al niño.
- Dutch Ik zal het kind redden.
How to Conjugate "retten" in the Subjunctive I Tense
Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | rette |
| du | you (informal) | rettest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | rette |
| wir | we | retten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | rettet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | retten |
Er rette die Katze.
say it air REH-teh dee KAHT-seh
He rescues the cat.
In other languages
- French Il sauve le chat.
- Spanish Él rescata al gato.
- Dutch Hij redt de kat.
Ich rette das Kind.
say it ikh REH-teh dahs kint
I save the child.
In other languages
- French Je sauve l'enfant.
- Spanish Yo salvo al niño.
- Dutch Ik red het kind.
How to Conjugate "retten" in the Subjunctive II Tense
Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | rettete |
| du | you (informal) | rettetest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | rettete |
| wir | we | retteten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | rettetet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | retteten |
Er rettete die Katze.
say it air RET-teh-teh dee KAT-seh
He would rescue the cat.
In other languages
- French Il sauverait le chat.
- Spanish Él rescataría al gato.
- Dutch Hij zou de kat redden.
Ich rettete das Kind.
say it ikh RET-teh-teh dahs kint
I would save the child.
In other languages
- French Je sauverais l'enfant.
- Spanish Yo salvaría al niño.
- Dutch Ik zou het kind redden.
Frequently Asked Questions About "retten"
Is "retten" regular or irregular in German?
"Retten" is a regular German verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "retten" mean in English?
The German verb "retten" means "to save, to rescue" in English.
How do you conjugate "retten" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → rette, du → rettest, er/sie/es → rettet, wir → retten, ihr → rettet, sie/Sie → retten.
How many tenses does "retten" have in German?
"Retten" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.
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