Geben Conjugation in German – Present, Past, and All Tenses Explained

Learning German verbs is one of the most important part in gaining proficiency in the language, and Geben is a great examplefor that. In this blog, we will learn how Geben is conjugated in different tenses, from present and past to more advanced forms. Since Gaben means “to give or giving”, you will find it in everyday situations – such as giving a gift, giving advice or helping.

Understanding its conjunction not only helps you talk right, but also makes German sounds more natural. With clear tables, examples and clarifications, you will understand the forms of Geben throughout the blog. Towards the end, you will feel confident in using Geben in your own sentences.

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Introduction

The German verb Geben is one of the most useful and common verbs you will find while learning the language. It means “to give,” and just like in English, it could be used frequently. You might use it when giving a gift, giving advice, or even giving information. Because of this, Geben is a verb that learners hear and use very often in daily communication.

Unlike many other regular verbs, Geben is an irregular, strong verb. This means that the forms become methods that do not always follow the general rules of connecting. For example, in case of present tense, the vowel changes as: ich gebe (I give), to du gibst (you give). These small changes makes more challenging, but also more interesting to learn Geben.

Gaining knowledge in Geben is important because it not only helps you express yourself in basic day-to-day  conversations but also shows up in many fixed phrases and idioms. The expressions like es gibt (there is/ there are) are especially common in German, and without knowing the geben, you may take effort to understand or use them.

Geben Conjugation Overview

The verb Geben belongs to the group of strong, irregular verbs in German language. Strong verbs are important because they often experience vowel changes when connecting the sentences. For Geben, the vowel e changes to i in some of the present tense forms and to a in the past tense. This is why geben is considered as an irregular verb.

• Infinitive: geben → to give

• Past Participle: gegeben

• Auxiliary verb used in compound tenses: haben (ich habe gegeben)

This verb is mainly vital because it seems now not only in every day speech however additionally in common fixed terms which includes es gibt (there’s/ there are). Since geben is an irregula verb, it’s important to need attention to its changing forms.

Here is a quick overview:

Conjugation Tables by Tense

The verb geben is a strong, irregular verb. That means its vowel changes in several tenses. Below, you’ll find a full overview of how geben is connected in all important tenses, with explanations and tables.

1. Present Tense (Prasens)

In the present tense, geben changes its stem vowel e → i in the 2nd and 3rd person singular (du gibst, er gibt).

✅ Example: Ich gebe dir ein Buch. → I give you a book.

2. Simple Past (Prateritum)

In the simple past, the vowel changes from e → a.

✅ Example: Er gab mir einen Rat. → He gave me advice.

3. Present Perfect (Perfekt)

The present perfect is formed with haben + past participle gegeben.

✅ Example: Wir haben ein Geschenk gegeben. → We have given a gift.

4. Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt)

Formed with hatte + past participle gegeben.

✅ Example: Ich hatte dir schon das Buch gegeben. → I had already given you the book.

5. Future I (Futur I)

Formed with werden + infinitive geben.

✅ Example: Ich werde dir morgen das Geld geben. → I will give you the money tomorrow.

6. Future II (Futur II)

Formed with werden + past participle gegeben + auxiliary haben.

✅ Example: Bis morgen werde ich das Buch gegeben haben. → By tomorrow I will have given the book.

7. Subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I)

Often used in reported speech.

✅ Example (reported speech): Er sagt, er gebe dir das Buch. → He says he is giving you the book.

8. Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)

This is used for hypotheticals or politeness.

✅ Example: Ich gäbe dir das Buch, wenn ich es hätte. → I would give you the book if I had it.

9. Imperative Mood

It is used to give commands. Should notice the vowel change (gib!).

✅ Example: Gib mir bitte das Salz! → Please give me the salt!

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Passive Voice Forms (Optional for advanced learners)

In German, the passive voice is made with werden + Partizip II (gegeben). It is often used when the focus is on the action instead of a person doing it. Gegeben means the participle of geben.

1. Present Passive (Prasens Passiv)

Structure: werden + gegeben

Example:

• Das Geschenk wird gegeben → The gift is given.

• Die Informationen werden den Studenten gegeben. → The information is given to the students.

2. Simple Past Passive (Prateritum Passiv)

Structure: wurde + gegeben

Example:

• Das Geschenk wurde gestern gegeben → The gift was given yesterday.

• Die Antwort wurde den Schülern gegeben → The answer was given to the students.

3. Present Perfect Passive (Perfekt Passiv)

Structure: ist + gegeben + worden

Example:

• Das Geld ist bereits gegeben worden → The money has already been given.

• Die Einladung ist gestern gegeben worden → The invitation has been given yesterday.

4. Past Perfect Passive (Plusquamperfekt Passiv)

Structure: war + gegeben + worden

Example:

• Das Buch war schon vor der Stunde gegeben worden → The book had already been given before the lesson.

• Die Aufgabe war dem Schüler gegeben worden → The task had been given to the student.

5. Future I Passive (Futur I Passiv)

Structure: wird + gegeben + werden

Example:

• Das Geschenk wird morgen gegeben werden → The gift will be given tomorrow.

• Die Ergebnisse werden bald gegeben werden → The results will soon be given.

6. Future II Passive (Futur II Passiv)

Structure: wird + gegeben + worden + sein

Example:

• Das Geschenk wird bis morgen gegeben worden sein → The gift will have been given by tomorrow.

• Die Antworten werden bis nachste Woche gegeben worden sein → The answers will have been given by next week.

Common Usage Notes

The verb geben is simply means (“to give”), but in the conversation in daily life it shows in many special structures and idiomatic expressions. Understanding these will find you more natural and full of confidence.

1. Dative Constructions with geben

In German, when something is given to someone, the receiver of the action is in the dative case, while the thing being given is in the accusative case.

Structure: jemandem (Dative) etwas (Accusative) geben → to give someone something

Examples:

• Ich gebe meinem Freund (Dative) ein Buch (Accusative) → I give my friend a book.

• Sie gibt dem Kind einen Apfel → She gives the child an apple.

✅ Tip: Always pay attention to who receives the object → receiver = dative, object = accusative.

2. Reflexive Uses of geben

Sometimes geben is used with a reflexive pronoun, often to show effort or like attitude.

• Ich gebe mir Muhe → I make an effort. (literally: I give myself effort)

• Du gibst dir wirklich viel Zeit → You really take a lot of time for yourself.

3. Colloquial Expressions and Idioms with geben

German language is full of idioms with geben, and many of them don’t translate literally. These are very common in daily life conversations.

Examples:

• Gas geben → to accelerate, to step on the gas

  • Beim Autofahren musst du Gas geben → When driving, you have to step on the gas.

• sein Bestes geben → to do one’s best

  • Ich gebe mein Bestes in der Prüfung → I give my best in the exam.

• es gibt → there is/ there are

  • Es gibt viele Möglichkeiten → There are many possibilities.

• jemandem recht geben → to agree with someone

  • Ich gebe dir recht → I agree with you.

• nicht viel auf etwas geben → not to care much about something

  • Er gibt nicht viel auf Mode → He doesn’t care much about fashion.

Practice Section

Learning grammar is most effective way when you practice daily. Below you will find out two types of exercises:

1. Fill-in-the-blank quiz → practice using geben in different tenses and contexts.

2. Conjugation drill → practice full verb forms across persons and tenses.

1. Fill-in-the-Blank Quiz

Complete the sentences with the correct form of geben.

Questions:

1. Ich ____________ dir morgen das Buch. (Präsens)

2. Er ____________ mir gestern eine Antwort. (Präteritum)

3. Wir haben ihm schon das Geld ________________(Perfekt)

4. Das Geschenk ______________ von den Eltern gegeben. (Passiv Präsens)

5. Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, ______________ ich dir gerne Nachhilfe. (Konjunktiv II)

Answers:

1. gebe → Ich gebe dir morgen das Buch. → I give you the book tomorrow.

2. gab → Er gab mir gestern eine Antwort. → He gave me an answer yesterday.

3. gegeben → Wir haben ihm schon das Geld gegeben. → We have already given him the money.

4. wird → Das Geschenk wird von den Eltern gegeben. → The gift is given by the parents.

5. gäbe → Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, gäbe ich dir gerne Nachhilfe. → If I had more time, I would gladly give you tutoring.

2. Conjugation Drill

Try to connect geben in these forms without looking at the tables. Then check your answers.

Questions:

• Present (du): ______________

• Present (er/sie/es): ____________________

• Präteritum (wir): ______________________

• Perfekt (ich): __________________

• Futur I (sie): __________________

• Konjunktiv II (ich): __________________

Answers:

• Present (du): gibst → Du gibst immer gute Ratschläge. → You always give good advice.

• Present (er/sie/es): gibt → Er gibt mir Hoffnung. → He gives me hope.

• Präteritum (wir): gaben → Wir gaben den Kindern Schokolade. → We gave the children chocolate.

• Perfekt (ich): habe gegeben → Ich habe das Buch gegeben. → I have given the book.

• Futur I (sie): werden geben → Sie werden bald eine Erklärung geben. → They will soon give an explanation.

• Konjunktiv II (ich): gäbe → Ich gäbe dir das Geld, wenn ich es hätte. → I would give you the money if I had it.

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Conclusion

The verb geben is more than just “to give” — it’s far an crucial a part of German grammar and ordinary conversation. In this blog, we explored its irregular conjugation styles throughout all tenses, from present and past to perfect, future, and even the subjunctive. We additionally saw how it works in passive forms, dative structures, reflexive makes use of common idioms like es gibt or gas geben. These examples convey how flexible and important geben is in expressing a wide range of thoughts.

To simply grasp geben, learners need consistent practices. Connecting charts and tables are good place to begin, but the real development comes from using the verb actively in writing and speaking. Try out some quizzes, pay attention for geben in German media, and make your very own sentences with it. The more you practice, it will reflects in your speaking. So keep learning, stay motivated and— as the Germans say — gib dein Bestes! (give your best).