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Understanding verb conjugations is an important part of German language learning. It is as important as learning new words. But we cannot memorise all the conjugation forms of all the German verbs we know. So, what we can do is select a few frequently used verbs and learn and memorise their conjugation tables. And what is a word more important than “arbeiten” in a professional or academic context? So, forms of German arbeiten conjugation be our first venture into this territory.
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German Arbeiten Conjugation: Introduction
It is essential for students who want to improve their language skills to learn how to conjugate the German verb “arbeiten” (to work). This verb changes forms, such as “ich arbeite” for “I work” and “wir arbeiten” for “we work,” demonstrating how different it is depending on the subject. The pattern is a fundamental component of German language proficiency since it makes communication easier in past, present, and future contexts.
Understanding the Verb “Arbeiten”
1: How do you say "Good Morning" in German?
The verb arbeiten (work, function) has a regular conjugation. Arbeited, arbeitete, and hat gearbeitet are basic forms. Have is the auxiliary verb for arbeiten. It is possible to use the verb arbeiten reflexively. The use is Main, and the flection is in Active. But before learning German arbeiten conjugation forms let us look up the meaning of the word. The meaning of the word “arbeiten” is listed below.
- Work
- Function
- Be employed
- Labour
- Be at work
- Carry on a job
- Job
- Labour
- Operate
- Operate (against)
- Warp
- Work (on)
- Work for
- Work on
- Act as
Now that we understand the possible meanings of the words in various contexts let us go to German arbeiten conjugation forms.
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Start Learning GermanConjugation of “Arbeiten” in Indicative Forms
Let us begin our guide by discussing the German arbeiten conjugation indicative forms,
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Present Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the present tense in indicative form are given below.
- ich arbeit(e)
- du arbeitest
- er arbeitet
- wir arbeiten
- ihr arbeitet
- sie arbeiten
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Past Tense (Simple Past)
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the simple past tense in indicative form are given below.
- ich arbeitete
- du arbeitetest
- er arbeitete
- wir arbeiteten
- ihr arbeitetet
- sie arbeiteten
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Perfect Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the perfect tense in indicative form are given below.
- ich habe gearbeitet
- du hast gearbeitet
- er hat gearbeitet
- wir haben gearbeitet
- ihr habt gearbeitet
- sie haben gearbeitet
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the PluPerfect Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the pluperfect tense in indicative form are given below.
- ich hatte gearbeitet
- du hattest gearbeitet
- er hatte gearbeitet
- wir hatten gearbeitet
- ihr hattet gearbeitet
- sie hatten gearbeitet
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Future Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the future tense in indicative form are given below.
- ich werde arbeiten
- du wirst arbeiten
- er wird arbeiten
- wir werden arbeiten
- ihr werdet arbeiten
- sie werden arbeiten
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Future Perfect Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the future perfect tense in indicative form are given below.
- ich werde gearbeitet haben
- du wirst gearbeitet haben
- er wird gearbeitet haben
- wir werden gearbeitet haben
- ihr werdet gearbeitet haben
- sie werden gearbeitet haben
Conditional and Subjunctive Forms of “Arbeiten”
Beside the indicative forms “Arbeiten” has conditional and subjunctive conjugated forms. Let us look at them.
Conditional Forms of “Arbeiten”
The condictional forms of “Arbeiten” conjugations are provided below.
| Tense | Conjugation form |
| Imperfect | · ich würde arbeiten
· du würdest arbeiten · er würde arbeiten · wir würden arbeiten · ihr würdet arbeiten · sie würden arbeiten |
| Pluperfect | · ich würde gearbeitet haben
· du würdest gearbeitet haben · er würde gearbeitet haben · wir würden gearbeitet haben · ihr würdet gearbeitet haben · sie würden gearbeitet haben |
Subjunctive Forms of “Arbeiten”
Subjunctive forms Arbeiten” conjugation are discussed below.
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Present Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the present tense in subjunctive form are given below.
- ich arbeite
- du arbeitest
- er arbeite
- wir arbeiten
- ihr arbeitet
- sie arbeiten
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Past Tense (Simple Past)
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the simple past tense in subjunctive form are given below.
- ich arbeitete
- du arbeitetest
- er arbeitete
- wir arbeiteten
- ihr arbeitetet
- sie arbeiteten
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Perfect Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the perfect tense in subjunctive form are given below.
- ich habe gearbeitet
- du habest gearbeitet
- er habe gearbeitet
- wir haben gearbeitet
- ihr habet gearbeitet
- sie haben gearbeitet
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the PluPerfect Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the pluperfect tense in subjunctive form are given below.
- ich hätte gearbeitet
- du hättest gearbeitet
- er hätte gearbeitet
- wir hätten gearbeitet
- ihr hättet gearbeitet
- sie hätten gearbeitet
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Future Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the future tense in subjunctive form are given below.
- ich werde arbeiten
- du werdest arbeiten
- er werde arbeiten
- wir werden arbeiten
- ihr werdet arbeiten
- sie werden arbeiten
Conjugation of “Arbeiten” in the Future Perfect Tense
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in the future perfect tense in subjunctive form are given below.
- ich werde gearbeitet haben
- du werdest gearbeitet haben
- er werde gearbeitet haben
- wir werden gearbeitet haben
- ihr werdet gearbeitet haben
- sie werden gearbeitet haben
Infinitive, Participle and Imperative Forms of “Arbeiten”
The conjugation of “arbeiten” in infinitive. Imperative and participle form are given below.
| Tenses | Forms |
| Imperative | · arbeit(e) (du)
· arbeiten wir · arbeitet (ihr) · arbeiten Sie |
| Infinitive I | · arbeiten
· zu arbeiten |
| Infinitive II | · gearbeitet haben
· gearbeitet zu haben |
| Participle I | · arbeitend |
| Participle II | · gearbeitet |
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Start Learning GermanUsing “Arbeiten” in Complex Sentences
Some complex sentences using “Arbeiten” are discussed here.
| English | German |
| Are you still working or are you already stressed, Anna? | Arbeitest du noch, oder stresst du dich schon, Anna? |
| Back then we always worked side by side on the assembly line. | Damals haben wir immer Seite an Seite am Fließband gearbeitet. |
| In the past, I have worked for the Post Office. | In der Vergangenheit habe ich für die Post gearbeitet. |
| Don’t work too hard, darling. | Arbeiten Sie nicht zu hart, Schütze. |
Common Expressions and Idiomatic Phrases with “Arbeiten”
It is important to learn common expressions and idiomatic phrases containing the word “Arbeiten” if you need to complete this section of knowledge. But it is always better to learn such complex things from a mentor rather than a blog. A mentor can give comprehensive explanations about the complexities of language and the contexts in which an expression is used. But where can we find such a mentor? Look no further! Entri Elevate is providing online German proficiency courses. They offer local language-speaking tutors, live as well as recorded classes, live interactive sessions, mock tests, assessments, PDF notes etc.
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German Arbeiten Conjugation: Conclusion
Anyone learning German needs to know how to conjugate arbeiten correctly. It makes it possible to communicate clearly about daily schedules, work life, and future goals. Additionally, becoming proficient in German Arbeiten Conjugation facilitates understanding difficult texts and contributing to discussions in an efficient manner.
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Start Learning GermanFrequently Asked Questions
What is the conjugation of "arbeiten" in the future tense?
Er/sie/es wird arbeiten, wir werden arbeiten, ihr werdet arbeiten, sie/Sie werden arbeiten, ich werde arbeiten, and du wirst arbeiten are the conjugations of “arbeiten” in the future tense.
How is the imperative "arbeiten" formed?
To create the imperative of “arbeiten” for the formal singular and plural uses “arbeiten Sie,” the informal singular uses “arbeite,” and the informal plural uses “arbeitet.”
How is the past tense of "arbeiten" formed?
The auxiliary verb “haben” and the past participle “gearbeitet” are used to create the past tense of “arbeiten” in German. Thus, “ich habe gearbeitet,” which means “I worked” in English, is the simple past tense form.
How is the subjunctive mood of "arbeiten" formed?
In the present tense, “ich arbeite, du arbeitest, er/sie/es arbeite, wir arbeiten, ihr arbeitet, sie/Sie arbeiten” are used to create the subjunctive mood of “arbeiten.” Use the participle “gearbeitet” in conjunction with the auxiliary “haben” in the subjunctive form to express the past tense, as in “ich hätte gearbeitet”.
What are the present tense conjugation rules for "arbeiten"?
Ich arbeite, du arbeitest, er/sie/es arbeitet, wir arbeiten, ihr arbeiten, sie/Sie arbeiten are the conjugations of “arbeiten” in the present tense. With the addition of the endings “-e, -est, -et, -en, -et, -en” for the corresponding personal pronouns, the verb stem “arbeit-” stays the same.
