The German verb "vergessen" means "to forget" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "vergessen" across all 7 tenses. New to German verbs? Start with the German verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "vergessen" in the Present Tense
Präsens Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | vergesse |
| du | you (informal) | vergisst |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | vergisst |
| wir | we | vergessen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | vergesst |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | vergessen |
Er vergisst seinen Namen manchmal.
say it ehr fer-GIST
He forgets his name sometimes.
In other languages
- French Il oublie parfois son nom.
- Spanish A veces olvida su nombre.
- Dutch Hij vergeet soms zijn naam.
Ich vergesse oft meine Schlüssel.
say it ih fer-GE-se
I often forget my keys.
In other languages
- French J'oublie souvent mes clés.
- Spanish A menudo olvido mis llaves.
- Dutch Ik vergeet vaak mijn sleutels.
How to Conjugate "vergessen" in the Simple Past Tense
Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | vergaß |
| du | you (informal) | vergaßt |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | vergaß |
| wir | we | vergaßen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | vergaßt |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | vergaßen |
Er vergaß die Zeit.
say it AIR fer-GAS dee TSAYT
He forgot the time.
In other languages
- French Il a oublié l'heure.
- Spanish Él olvidó la hora.
- Dutch Hij is de tijd vergeten.
Ich vergaß meinen Schlüssel.
say it ISH fer-GAS MY-nen SHLEW-sel
I forgot my key.
In other languages
- French J'ai oublié ma clé.
- Spanish Olvidé mi llave.
- Dutch Ik ben mijn sleutel vergeten.
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Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe vergessen |
| du | you (informal) | hast vergessen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hat vergessen |
| wir | we | haben vergessen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | habt vergessen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | haben vergessen |
Er hat seinen Namen vergessen.
say it ER HAT ZAY-nen NAH-men FER-GESS-en
He has forgotten his name.
In other languages
- French Il a oublié son nom.
- Spanish Ha olvidado su nombre.
- Dutch Hij is zijn naam vergeten.
Ich habe den Schlüssel vergessen.
say it ISH HAH-beh DEN SHLEW-SEL FER-GESS-en
I have forgotten the key.
In other languages
- French J'ai oublié la clé.
- Spanish He olvidado la llave.
- Dutch Ik ben de sleutel vergeten.
How to Conjugate "vergessen" in the Past Perfect Tense
Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hatte vergessen |
| du | you (informal) | hattest vergessen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hatte vergessen |
| wir | we | hatten vergessen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hattet vergessen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hatten vergessen |
Er hatte den Schlüssel vergessen.
say it ER HAH-teh DEN SHLEW-SEL FER-GEH-sen
He had forgotten the key.
In other languages
- French Il avait oublié la clé.
- Spanish Había olvidado la llave.
- Dutch Hij was de sleutel vergeten.
Ich hatte den Termin vergessen.
say it ISH HAH-teh DEN TER-MEEN FER-GEH-sen
I had forgotten the appointment.
In other languages
- French J'avais oublié le rendez-vous.
- Spanish Había olvidado la cita.
- Dutch Ik was de afspraak vergeten.
How to Conjugate "vergessen" in the Future Tense
Futur I Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | werde vergessen |
| du | you (informal) | wirst vergessen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wird vergessen |
| wir | we | werden vergessen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | werdet vergessen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | werden vergessen |
Er wird das Buch sicher vergessen.
say it EHR VIRT DAS BOOK ZI-ker fer-GE-sen
He will surely forget the book.
In other languages
- French Il oubliera sûrement le livre.
- Spanish Seguramente olvidará el libro.
- Dutch Hij zal het boek zeker vergeten.
Ich werde den Termin nicht vergessen.
say it ISH VEHR-deh DEHN ter-MEEN NIKHT fer-GE-sen
I will not forget the appointment.
In other languages
- French Je n'oublierai pas le rendez-vous.
- Spanish No olvidaré la cita.
- Dutch Ik zal de afspraak niet vergeten.
How to Conjugate "vergessen" in the Subjunctive I Tense
Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | vergesse |
| du | you (informal) | vergessest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | vergesse |
| wir | we | vergessen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | vergesset |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | vergessen |
Er meint, er vergesse den Termin.
say it fer-GE-se
He thinks he forgets the appointment.
In other languages
- French Il pense qu'il oublie le rendez-vous.
- Spanish Él piensa que olvida la cita.
- Dutch Hij denkt dat hij de afspraak vergeet.
Er sagt, ich vergesse den Namen.
say it fer-GE-sen
He says I forget the name.
In other languages
- French Il dit que j'oublie le nom.
- Spanish Él dice que yo olvido el nombre.
- Dutch Hij zegt dat ik de naam vergeet.
How to Conjugate "vergessen" in the Subjunctive II Tense
Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | vergäße |
| du | you (informal) | vergäßest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | vergäße |
| wir | we | vergäßen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | vergäßet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | vergäßen |
Er vergäße den Schlüssel oft.
say it EHR fer-GEH-seh den SHLEW-sel oft
He would often forget the key.
In other languages
- French Il oublierait souvent la clé.
- Spanish Él अक्सर olvidaría la llave.
- Dutch Hij zou de sleutel vaak vergeten.
Ich vergäße den Termin nicht.
say it ISH fer-GEH-seh den ter-MEEN nikht
I would not forget the appointment.
In other languages
- French Je n'oublierais pas le rendez-vous.
- Spanish No olvidaría la cita.
- Dutch Ik zou de afspraak niet vergeten.
Frequently Asked Questions About "vergessen"
Is "vergessen" regular or irregular in German?
"Vergessen" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "vergessen" mean in English?
The German verb "vergessen" means "to forget" in English.
How do you conjugate "vergessen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → vergesse, du → vergisst, er/sie/es → vergisst, wir → vergessen, ihr → vergesst, sie/Sie → vergessen.
How many tenses does "vergessen" have in German?
"Vergessen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.
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