The German verb "stehlen" means "to steal" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "stehlen" across all 7 tenses. New to German verbs? Start with the German verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "stehlen" in the Present Tense
Präsens Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | stehle |
| du | you (informal) | stiehlst |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | stiehlt |
| wir | we | stehlen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | stehlt |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | stehlen |
Er stiehlt Geld aus der Tasche.
say it AIR STEELT gelt ows der TAH-shuh
He steals money from the bag.
In other languages
- French Il vole de l'argent du sac.
- Spanish Él roba dinero de la bolsa.
- Dutch Hij steelt geld uit de tas.
Ich stehle das Brot nicht.
say it IHK SHTAY-luh dahs BROHT nicht
I do not steal the bread.
In other languages
- French Je ne vole pas le pain.
- Spanish No robo el pan.
- Dutch Ik steel het brood niet.
How to Conjugate "stehlen" in the Simple Past Tense
Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | stahl |
| du | you (informal) | stahlst |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | stahl |
| wir | we | stahlen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | stahlt |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | stahlen |
Er stahl mein Fahrrad gestern.
say it AIR SHTAHL mine FAH-rad GES-tern
He stole my bicycle yesterday.
In other languages
- French Il a volé mon vélo hier.
- Spanish Él robó mi bicicleta ayer.
- Dutch Hij stal gisteren mijn fiets.
Ich stahl das Brot.
say it IHKH SHTAHL dahs BROHT
I stole the bread.
In other languages
- French J'ai volé le pain.
- Spanish Robé el pan.
- Dutch Ik stal het brood.
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Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe gestohlen |
| du | you (informal) | hast gestohlen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hat gestohlen |
| wir | we | haben gestohlen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | habt gestohlen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | haben gestohlen |
Er hat das Fahrrad gestohlen.
say it AIR hat dahs FAH-rad geh-SHTOH-len
He stole the bicycle.
In other languages
- French Il a volé le vélo.
- Spanish Él robó la bicicleta.
- Dutch Hij stal de fiets.
Ich habe das Brot gestohlen.
say it IHK hah-buh dahs BROHT geh-SHTOH-len
I stole the bread.
In other languages
- French J'ai volé le pain.
- Spanish Robé el pan.
- Dutch Ik stal het brood.
How to Conjugate "stehlen" in the Past Perfect Tense
Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hatte gestohlen |
| du | you (informal) | hattest gestohlen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hatte gestohlen |
| wir | we | hatten gestohlen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hattet gestohlen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hatten gestohlen |
Er hatte den Ring gestohlen.
say it AIR HAH-teh den RING geh-SHTOH-len
He had stolen the ring.
In other languages
- French Il avait volé la bague.
- Spanish Él había robado el anillo.
- Dutch Hij had de ring gestolen.
Ich hatte das Geld gestohlen.
say it IHK HAH-teh das GELT geh-SHTOH-len
I had stolen the money.
In other languages
- French J'avais volé l'argent.
- Spanish Yo había robado el dinero.
- Dutch Ik had het geld gestolen.
How to Conjugate "stehlen" in the Future Tense
Futur I Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | werde stehlen |
| du | you (informal) | wirst stehlen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wird stehlen |
| wir | we | werden stehlen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | werdet stehlen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | werden stehlen |
Er wird den Ring stehlen.
say it AIR veert den RING SHTAY-len
He will steal the ring.
In other languages
- French Il volera la bague.
- Spanish Él robará el anillo.
- Dutch Hij zal de ring stelen.
Ich werde das Geld stehlen.
say it IHK VERR-deh das GELT SHTAY-len
I will steal the money.
In other languages
- French Je volerai l'argent.
- Spanish Robaré el dinero.
- Dutch Ik zal het geld stelen.
How to Conjugate "stehlen" in the Subjunctive I Tense
Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | stehle |
| du | you (informal) | stehlest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | stehle |
| wir | we | stehlen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | stehlet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | stehlen |
Er stehle das Geld heimlich.
say it AIR SHTAY-luh dahs GELT HYM-likh
He steals the money secretly.
In other languages
- French Il vole l'argent en secret.
- Spanish Él roba el dinero en secreto.
- Dutch Hij steelt het geld in het geheim.
Ich stehle nichts aus dem Laden.
say it IHK SHTAY-luh niks ows dem LAH-den
I steal nothing from the shop.
In other languages
- French Je ne vole rien du magasin.
- Spanish No robo nada de la tienda.
- Dutch Ik steel niets uit de winkel.
How to Conjugate "stehlen" in the Subjunctive II Tense
Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | stähle |
| du | you (informal) | stählest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | stähle |
| wir | we | stählen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | stählet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | stählen |
Er stahl das Fahrrad.
say it SHTAHL
He would steal the bicycle.
In other languages
- French Il volerait le vélo.
- Spanish Él robaría la bicicleta.
- Dutch Hij zou de fiets stelen.
Ich stahl das Brot.
say it SHTAHL
I would steal the bread.
In other languages
- French Je volerais le pain.
- Spanish Yo robaría el pan.
- Dutch Ik zou het brood stelen.
Frequently Asked Questions About "stehlen"
Is "stehlen" regular or irregular in German?
"Stehlen" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "stehlen" mean in English?
The German verb "stehlen" means "to steal" in English.
How do you conjugate "stehlen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → stehle, du → stiehlst, er/sie/es → stiehlt, wir → stehlen, ihr → stehlt, sie/Sie → stehlen.
How many tenses does "stehlen" have in German?
"Stehlen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.
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