German Nehmen Conjugation

Introduction

German can be tough, especially when it comes to verbs and their conjugations. One of those verbs is “nehmen” which means “to take”. Master the conjugation of “nehmen” and you’ll be communicating like a pro in German. In this post we’ll go through all the conjugations of “nehmen” and its different tenses. By the end you’ll know “nehmen” inside out and how to use it.

What is “Nehmen”

“Nehmen” is a strong verb in German which means it changes the vowel in some of its conjugations. It’s used in both spoken and written German so it’s a verb you need to learn if you want to be good in German.

“Nehmen” can be used in many contexts, taking an object, accepting something or even making a choice. It’s so versatile it’s a everyday conversation verb.

Present Tense Conjugation

In the present tense “nehmen” is conjugated like this:

• ich (I): nehme
• du (you, singular): nimmst
• er/sie/es (he/she/it): nimmt
• wir (we): nehmen
• ihr (you, plural): nehmt
• sie/Sie (they/you, formal): nehmen

Examples

• Ich nehme das Buch. (I take the book.)
• Du nimmst den Stift. (You take the pen.)
• Er nimmt einen Kaffee. (He takes a coffee.)

Now you know how to conjugate “nehmen” in the present tense. That’s a big part of your German vocabulary.

Past Tense Conjugation (Simple Past)

The simple past tense, or Präteritum, of “nehmen” is used in written German, like in literature or formal contexts. The conjugation is:

• ich (I): nahm
• du (you, singular): nahmst
• er/sie/es (he/she/it): nahm
• wir (we): nahmen
• ihr (you, plural): nahmt
• sie/Sie (they/you, formal): nahmen

Examples

• Ich nahm das Angebot an. (I accepted the offer.)
• Sie nahm den Bus zur Arbeit. (She took the bus to work.)
• Wir nahmen an der Diskussion teil. (We participated in the discussion.)

Using the simple past is important for telling stories about things that have happened, to give your speech or writing a chronological order.

Perfect Tense Conjugation

The perfect tense, or Perfekt, is used in spoken German to describe past events. The verb “nehmen” is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “haben” (to have). The structure is:

The past participle of “nehmen” is “genommen”.

Examples

• Ich habe das Buch genommen. (I have taken the book.)
• Er hat den Preis genommen. (He has taken the prize.)
• Wir haben viele Bilder genommen. (We have taken many.)

The perfect tense is used for things that are relevant to now, so it’s used often in everyday conversation.

Future Tense Conjugation

The future tense in German is formed with the auxiliary verb “werden” (to become) and the infinitive “nehmen”. Here’s the conjugation:

• ich (I): werde nehmen
• du (you, singular): wirst nehmen
• er/sie/es (he/she/it): wird nehmen
• wir (we): werden nehmen
• ihr (you, plural): werdet nehmen
• sie/Sie (they/you, formal): werden nehmen

Examples

• Ich werde das Angebot nehmen. (I will take the offer.)
• Wir werden morgen reisen. (We will travel tomorrow.)
• Sie werden das Problem lösen. (They will solve the problem.)

Using the future tense helps you talk about what’s to come.

Conditional & Subjunctive Forms of “Nehmen”

The conditional mood in German is used for hypothetical situations. The conjugation of “nehmen” in the conditional is with “würde” (would) and the infinitive “nehmen”.

Examples

• Ich würde das Buch nehmen, wenn ich Zeit hätte. (I would take the book if I had time.)
• Sie würden helfen, wenn sie könnten. (They would help if they could.)

The subjunctive mood is used for wishes, desires or unreal situations.

“Nehmen” with Modal Verbs

“Nehmen” can also be used with modal verbs which express necessity, ability, permission or possibility. The structure is the modal verb followed by “nehmen” in the infinitive.

Examples

• Ich kann das Angebot nehmen. (I can take the offer.)
• Du musst das Formular nehmen. (You must take the form.)
• Wir dürfen das Auto nehmen. (We are allowed to take the car.)

Knowing how “nehmen” works with modal verbs will help you with your conversation and give you more expression.

Nehmen in Passive Voice

In German the passive voice is used to emphasize the action not the subject performing the action. The verb “nehmen” can be put into the passive voice with the auxiliary verb “werden” and the past participle “genommen”.

Examples

• Das Angebot wird genommen. (The offer is being taken.)
• Die Papiere werden genommen. (The documents are being taken.)

The passive voice is useful for formal writing and helps you to focus on the action itself rather than who’s performing it.

Phrases and Idioms with “Nehmen”

The verb “nehmen” is part of many common phrases and idioms. Here are a few:

• Etwas in die Hand nehmen. (To take something into one’s hands, meaning to take control of a situation.)
• Das Leben nehmen, wie es kommt. (To take life as it comes, meaning to accept things as they are.)
• Sich etwas zu Herzen nehmen. (To take something to heart, meaning to take something seriously or personally.)

Using these idioms in conversation can make your speech sound more natural and fluent.

Conclusion

Learning the German verb “nehmen” and its conjugation is a big step to becoming fluent in the language. From its present tense forms to its uses in different situations “nehmen” is a very useful verb that will help you a lot in communication.

If you want to go deeper in the German language and improve your skills, enroll in the German language course of Entri. With expert teachers and complete curriculum you will be on your way to mastering the language. Check it out!