helfen
to help
Present e changes to i in the singular du/er forms. A person being helped is dative.
| Person | PresentPräsens | Simple pastPräteritum | PerfectPerfekt |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | helfe | half | habe geholfen |
| du | hilfst | halfst | hast geholfen |
| er / sie / es | hilft | half | hat geholfen |
| wir | helfen | halfen | haben geholfen |
| ihr | helft | halft | habt geholfen |
| sie / Sie | helfen | halfen | haben geholfen |
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways. Tap or focus a German form for its meaning.
Learn these together
helfen · ich half · ich habe geholfen
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.