Mastering the German Modal Verb “Wollen”

When it comes to discussing what you want or intend to do, “wollen” is an essential verb in the German language. Whether you’re talking about your daily goals, weekend plans, or future aspirations, understanding and mastering the conjugation of “wollen” will be key to effortlessly expressing yourself.

In this article, we’ll take you through a quick and enjoyable crash course on conjugating the German verb “wollen”. From the present to the past and the future, we’ll walk you through it all, ensuring you can confidently express your desires in German. So, let’s jump right in and get ready to effortlessly share your intentions using the versatile verb “wollen”!

“Wollen” in the Present Tense (Präsens)

Knowing the German verb “wollen” in the present tense is like having a linguistic key to express your desires and plans.

Here are some practical examples to help you out:

Ich will ein neues Auto kaufen. → I want to buy a new car.

Willst du heute Abend ins Kino gehen? → Do you want to go to the movies tonight?

Maria will Deutsch lernen. → Maria wants to learn German.

Wir wollen am Meer Urlaub machen. → We want to spend our vacation by the sea.

Wollt ihr mitkommen? → Do you guys want to come along?

Since “wollen” is a modal verb, its conjugation in the present tense is unique. You’ll need to memorize its forms:

Präsens
ich will	I want
du willst	you (informal) want
er/sie/es will	he/she/it wants
wir wollen	we want
ihr wollt	you guys/you all want
sie/Sie wollen	they/you (formal) want

“Wollen” in the Present Perfect (Perfekt)

Are you ready to chat about all the things you’ve wanted to do or have intended to do?

So, without further ado, let’s explore how the verb “wollen” can be used in a sentence in the present perfect tense. “Wollen” is used with the auxiliary verb “haben” in the perfect tense.

Ich habe ein Eis gewollt. → I wanted ice cream.

Hast du das schon immer gewollt? → Have you always wanted that?

Er hat keine höhere Position gewollt. → He didn’t want a higher position.

Die Kinder haben lange einen Hund gewollt. → The kids wanted to have a dog for a long time.

Let’s dive into the conjugation of “wollen” in the present perfect tense:

Perfekt
ich habe gewollt	I have wanted
du hast gewollt	you (informal) have wanted
er/sie/es hat gewollt	he/she/it has wanted
wir haben gewollt	we have wanted
ihr habt gewollt	you guys/you all have wanted
sie/Sie haben gewollt	they/you (formal) have wanted

“Wollen” in the Simple Past (Präteritum)

When it comes to most German verbs, you probably won’t be using the simple past in spoken language. However, there are a few exceptions, and “wollen” is one of them.

In actual fact, the verb wollen is used much more in the simple past in German than in the present perfect. So make sure to nail the conjugation of wollen in the simple past!

In order to use it in the simple past, you’ll need to use the correct conjugation and add an infinitive which is typically placed at the end of the sentence.

Let’s see how it’s used in a few examples:

Ich wollte Arzt werden. → I wanted to become a doctor.

Sie wollten immer in die Schweiz ziehen. → They always wanted to move to Switzerland.

Sie wollte gestern nicht mitkommen. → She didn’t want to come along yesterday.

Let’s see how the conjugation works:

Präteritum
ich wollte	I wanted
du wolltest	you (informal) wanted
er/sie/es wollte	he/she/it wanted
wir wollten	we wanted
ihr wolltet	you guys/you all wanted
sie/Sie wollten	they/you (formal) wanted

“Wollen” in the Future I Tense (Futur I)

The future tense in German is one of the easier tenses. You just have to conjugate the auxiliary verb “werden” and then add the infinitive form of the main verb. Let’s take a look at some examples to make it even easier for you to understand:

Er wird das nicht wollen! → He will not want that!

Ich werde später Zeit für mich wollen. → Later, I will want time for myself.

You can also combine a second infinitive which is placed before the infinitive wollen:

Wir werden morgen nach Köln fahren wollen. → We will want to drive to Cologne tomorrow.

Ich werde später nicht mehr arbeiten wollen. → I will not want to work anymore later.

Heute Nachmittag wirst du dich ausruhen wollen. → This afternoon, you will want to rest.

Sie wird morgen viel Zeit in der Sonne verbringen wollen. → She will want to spend a lot of time in the sun tomorrow.

“Wollen” in the Subjunctive Present (Konjunktiv II in der Gegenwart)

Want to chat about hypothetical scenarios, share your dreams, or speculate about future plans? Lucky for you, mastering the subjunctive present of the verb “wollen” is the key to making those polite requests and asking important questions about desires and intentions.

Let’s jump into some German sentences!

Sie würden das nicht wollen! → They would not want that!

Just like in the future tense, you can add a second infinitive:

Ich würde gerne nach Paris fahren wollen. → I would like to want to drive to Paris.

Sie würde gerne mit dem Fahrrad fahren wollen. → She would like to want to ride her bike.

Würden Sie heute Abend mit uns fahren wollen? → Would you want to travel with us tonight?

Würdest du gerne mit mir ans Mittelmeer fahren wollen? → Would you want to drive to the Mediterranean Sea with me?

Alright, time for the final step: let’s try to remember how to conjugate “wollen” in the present subjunctive. It’s not that hard, promise!

Konjunktiv II in der Gegenwart
ich würde wollen	I would want
du würdest wollen	you (informal) would want
er/sie/es würde wollen	he/she/it would want
wir würden wollen	we would want
ihr würdet wollen	you guys/you all would want
sie/Sie würden wollen	they/you (formal) would want

“Wollen” in the Subjunctive Past (Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit)

Picture this: you’re chatting about things you could’ve wanted, but didn’t. In German, we bust out the Subjunctive Past (Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit) for this exact purpose. It’s all about discussing desires or intentions that, sadly, won’t ever happen.

To make it happen, grab the verb “haben” in its Subjunctive Present forms and team it up with the past participle “gewollt”.

Check out this conjugation table below to help you remember the forms of “wollen” in the subjunctive past:

Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit
ich hätte gewollt	I would have wanted
du hättest gewollt	you (informal) would have wanted
er/sie/es hätte gewollt	he/she/it would have wanted
wir hätten gewollt	we would have wanted
ihr hättet gewollt	you guys/you all would have wanted
sie/Sie hätten gewollt	they/you (formal) would have wanted

Here are examples using “wollen” in the subjunctive past:

Er hätte das niemals gewollt! → He would never have wanted that!

And again, we can add another infinitive to the sentence. In that case, you will need to use “wollen” in the infinitive form, not the subjunctive form:

Ich hätte gerne nach Berlin fahren wollen, wenn ich mehr Zeit gehabt hätte. → I would have liked to want to drive to Berlin if I had had more time.

Most people would choose to say this in a simpler more natural way: Ich wäre gerne nach Berlin gefahren.

In meinem Urlaub hätte ich gerne viel lesen wollen. → On my vacation, I would have liked to want to read a lot.

This sentence would sound more natural this way: In meinem Urlaub hätte ich gerne viel gelesen.

Hättest du das Buch lesen wollen, wenn es kürzer gewesen wäre? → Would you have wanted to read the book if it had been shorter?

And again, most people would choose to say this: Hättest du das Buch gerne gelesen, wenn es kürzer gewesen wäre?

Wir hätten gerne nach Spanien fahren wollen, wenn wir nicht arbeiten müssten. → We would have liked to want to drive to Spain if we didn’t have to work.

The more natural sounding sentence would be: Wir wären gerne nach Spanien gefahren, wenn wir nicht arbeiten müssten.

Wollen in Subordinate Clauses

In German subordinate clauses, the verb “wollen” functions similarly to its use in main clauses but requires careful placement. Like other modal verbs, “wollen” places the conjugated form at the end of the clause.

For example, in the sentence “Ich weiß, dass er nach Hause gehen will” (I know that he wants to go home), “will” is placed at the end of the subordinate clause after “gehen.” This structure adheres to German grammar rules where the conjugated verb typically follows after other elements in the clause.

Here are more examples:

Sie sagt, dass sie morgen früh aufstehen will. → She says that she wants to get up early tomorrow.

Ich glaube, dass er heute Abend zu Hause bleiben will. → I believe that he wants to stay home this evening.

Er fragt, ob sie mit ihm ins Kino gehen will. → He asks if she wants to go to the movies with him.

Sie hat gesagt, dass sie nächstes Jahr nach Australien reisen will. → She said that she wants to travel to Australia next year.

Ich weiß nicht, ob er wirklich hier arbeiten will. → I don’t know if he really wants to work here.

These examples demonstrate how “wollen” is used in subordinate clauses to express desires or intentions, with the conjugated verb positioned at the end of each clause according to German grammar rules.

Common Mistakes When Using ‘Wollen’

Learning German verbs can be a rewarding challenge, and “wollen” is no exception. However, there are a few common mistakes learners often make when using this verb. Understanding these pitfalls can help you avoid them and use “wollen” correctly and confidently.

wollen vs. möchten

One frequent mistake is confusing “wollen” with “möchten” (would like). While both verbs express a desire, “wollen” is stronger and more direct, often translating to “want” in English. For example, “Ich will ein Eis” means “I want an ice cream,” which is more assertive than “Ich möchte ein Eis” (“I would like an ice cream”). Mixing up these two verbs can lead to unintended rudeness or overly forceful statements in conversation.

On the other hand, “möchte” is the subjunctive form of “mögen” and is used to express a polite desire or wish, similar to “would like” in English. For instance, “Ich möchte ins Kino gehen” means “I would like to go to the cinema.” This form is softer and more polite, making it suitable for requests or expressing preferences without sounding demanding.

If you want to learn more about the distinction between wollen and möchten, make sure to watch Jenny’s video below:

Irregular Conjugation

Another common error involves the conjugation of “wollen”. As a modal verb, “wollen” does not follow regular conjugation patterns. It’s an irregular verb and its forms must be memorized. Misconjugating it, such as saying “Ich willt” instead of “Ich will,” can make sentences sound awkward or incorrect.

Word Order in Subordinate Clauses

Additionally, learners sometimes misuse “wollen” in subordinate clauses. In German, the conjugated verb typically goes to the end of the clause, but with “wollen,” it’s crucial to place it correctly. For instance, “Ich weiß, dass ich will ins Kino gehen” is incorrect; the proper form is “Ich weiß, dass ich ins Kino gehen will.”

“Will” in English vs German

One common pitfall for English learners of German is confusing the German verb “will” with the future tense in English. The English verb “will” is used to indicate future actions, such as in the sentence “I will go to the store.”

However, in German, “will” is the first-person singular form of “wollen,” which means “to want.” For instance, “Ich will ins Kino gehen” translates to “I want to go to the cinema,” not “I will go to the cinema.”

To express future actions in German, the auxiliary verb “werden” is used instead. For example, “Ich werde ins Kino gehen” means “I will go to the cinema.” This distinction is crucial for clear and accurate communication, and understanding it helps learners avoid misunderstandings when expressing their intentions or future plans in German.

Final Thoughts

The German verb “wollen” lets you talk about what you want to do and your plans. Since “wollen” is a modal verb, you have to memorize its different forms for different verb tenses.

But no worries, we’ve got you covered! You can get tons of practice in our app! It has downloadable worksheets, quizzes, verb lessons, and even podcasts with native speakers.

With the help of these resources, you’ll soon be a pro at using this essential German verb to express your desires and intentions!