The German verb "warten" means "to wait" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "warten" across all 7 tenses. New to German verbs? Start with the German verb guide.
Jump to a tense
How to Conjugate "warten" in the Present Tense
Präsens Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | warte |
| du | you (informal) | wartest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wartet |
| wir | we | warten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | wartet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | warten |
Er wartet vor dem alten Kino.
say it ehr VAR-tet
He is waiting in front of the old cinema.
In other languages
- French Il attend devant le vieux cinéma.
- Spanish Él está esperando delante del viejo cine.
- Dutch Hij wacht voor de oude bioscoop.
Ich warte auf den nächsten Bus.
say it ih VAR-te
I am waiting for the next bus.
In other languages
- French J'attends le prochain bus.
- Spanish Estoy esperando el próximo autobús.
- Dutch Ik wacht op de volgende bus.
How to Conjugate "warten" in the Simple Past Tense
Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | wartete |
| du | you (informal) | wartetest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wartete |
| wir | we | warteten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | wartetet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | warteten |
Er wartete am Bahnhof.
say it AIR VAR-teh-teh AM BAN-hof
He waited at the station.
In other languages
- French Il a attendu à la gare.
- Spanish Él esperó en la estación.
- Dutch Hij heeft op het station gewacht.
Ich wartete auf dich.
say it ISH VAR-teh-teh OWF dish
I waited for you.
In other languages
- French Je t'ai attendu.
- Spanish Te esperé.
- Dutch Ik heb op je gewacht.
Want to actually remember these?
VerbPal drills "warten" in real German sentences using spaced repetition.
Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "warten" in the Present Perfect Tense
Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe gewartet |
| du | you (informal) | hast gewartet |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hat gewartet |
| wir | we | haben gewartet |
| ihr | you all (informal) | habt gewartet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | haben gewartet |
Er hat am Bahnhof gewartet.
say it ER HAT AM BAHN-HOF GEH-VAHR-tet
He has waited at the station.
In other languages
- French Il a attendu à la gare.
- Spanish Él ha esperado en la estación.
- Dutch Hij heeft op het station gewacht.
Ich habe lange gewartet.
say it ISH HAH-beh LANG-eh GEH-VAHR-tet
I have waited long.
In other languages
- French J'ai attendu longtemps.
- Spanish He esperado mucho tiempo.
- Dutch Ik heb lang gewacht.
How to Conjugate "warten" in the Past Perfect Tense
Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hatte gewartet |
| du | you (informal) | hattest gewartet |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hatte gewartet |
| wir | we | hatten gewartet |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hattet gewartet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hatten gewartet |
Er hatte auf sie gewartet.
say it ER HAH-teh OUF ZEE GEH-VAHR-tet
He had waited for her.
In other languages
- French Il l'avait attendue.
- Spanish Él la había esperado.
- Dutch Hij had op haar gewacht.
Ich hatte auf den Zug gewartet.
say it ISH HAH-teh OUF DEN TSOOK GEH-VAHR-tet
I had waited for the train.
In other languages
- French J'avais attendu le train.
- Spanish Había esperado el tren.
- Dutch Ik had op de trein gewacht.
How to Conjugate "warten" in the Future Tense
Futur I Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | werde warten |
| du | you (informal) | wirst warten |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wird warten |
| wir | we | werden warten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | werdet warten |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | werden warten |
Er wird vor der Tür warten.
say it EHR VIRT FOR DER TEER VAR-ten
He will wait in front of the door.
In other languages
- French Il attendra devant la porte.
- Spanish Él esperará delante de la puerta.
- Dutch Hij zal voor de deur wachten.
Ich werde auf den Bus warten.
say it ISH VEHR-deh OUF DEHN BOOS VAR-ten
I will wait for the bus.
In other languages
- French J'attendrai le bus.
- Spanish Esperaré el autobús.
- Dutch Ik zal op de bus wachten.
How to Conjugate "warten" in the Subjunctive I Tense
Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | warte |
| du | you (informal) | wartest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | warte |
| wir | we | warten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | wartet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | warten |
Er meint, er warte auf mich.
say it VAR-te
He thinks he waits for me.
In other languages
- French Il pense qu'il m'attend.
- Spanish Él piensa que me espera.
- Dutch Hij denkt dat hij op mij wacht.
Er sagt, ich warte hier.
say it VAR-ten
He says I wait here.
In other languages
- French Il dit que j'attends ici.
- Spanish Él dice que espero aquí.
- Dutch Hij zegt dat ik hier wacht.
How to Conjugate "warten" in the Subjunctive II Tense
Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | wartete |
| du | you (informal) | wartetest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wartete |
| wir | we | warteten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | wartetet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | warteten |
Er wartete auf eine Antwort.
say it EHR VAR-teh-teh owf AY-neh ANT-vort
He would wait for an answer.
In other languages
- French Il attendrait une réponse.
- Spanish Esperaría una respuesta.
- Dutch Hij zou op een antwoord wachten.
Ich wartete auf den Bus.
say it ISH VAR-teh-teh owf den BOOS
I would wait for the bus.
In other languages
- French J'attendrais le bus.
- Spanish Esperaría el autobús.
- Dutch Ik zou op de bus wachten.
Frequently Asked Questions About "warten"
Is "warten" regular or irregular in German?
"Warten" is a regular German verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "warten" mean in English?
The German verb "warten" means "to wait" in English.
How do you conjugate "warten" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → warte, du → wartest, er/sie/es → wartet, wir → warten, ihr → wartet, sie/Sie → warten.
How many tenses does "warten" have in German?
"Warten" 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.