fragen
to ask
Fragen commonly takes a person in accusative. Compare antworten, whose person complement is dative.
| Person | PresentPräsens | Simple pastPräteritum | PerfectPerfekt |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | frage | fragte | habe gefragt |
| du | fragst | fragtest | hast gefragt |
| er / sie / es | fragt | fragte | hat gefragt |
| wir | fragen | fragten | haben gefragt |
| ihr | fragt | fragtet | habt gefragt |
| sie / Sie | fragen | fragten | haben gefragt |
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways. Tap or focus a German form for its meaning.
Learn these together
fragen · ich fragte · ich habe gefragt
Using the table
The rows cover the six person/number patterns. Formal Sie uses the same verb form as plural sie, with its capital letter retained in a sentence. German Perfekt often translates naturally as an English simple past, so choose the meaning from context.
These are ordinary main-clause forms. A separable prefix stays joined with its verb in a verb-final subordinate clause. Modal verbs with another governed infinitive use the separate double-infinitive pattern rather than mechanically keeping the standalone perfect forms above.