haben Present Tense Conjugation in German
The verb "haben" is incredibly important when learning German. Not only is it the verb to say "have", as in "I have a dog.", but it is also used to formulate the Perfekt tense, which is used to speak about past events in German. In this lesson you will learn the present tense conjugation of "haben" as well as some of the most important ways you can use it in the present tense.
The Basics of "haben"
If you want to memorize the conjugation of "haben" in a fun song, click here.
The verb “haben” always requires an object. The articles are the same as normal (nominative case) with feminine, neuter and plural nouns as objects.
Ich habe eine Tante. -
I have an aunt.
Hast du eine Tochter? -
Do you have a daughter?
Meine Mutter hat eine Schwester. -
My mother has a sister.
Wir haben Eltern. -
We have parents.
Habt ihr ein Kind? -
Do you have a child?
Meine Großeltern haben Zwillinge. -
My grandparents have twins.
haben with Masculine Objects
If the object is a masculine noun, you need “den” for “the” and “einen” for “a” or “an”.
Ich habe einen Vater. -
I have a father.
Hast du einen Sohn? -
Do you have a son?
Mein Bruder hat einen Bruder… ich bin sein Bruder. -
My brother has a brother… I am his brother.
Mein Vater hat Geschwister. Sie sind meine Tanten und Onkel. -
My father has siblings. They are my aunts and uncles.
Wir haben einen Großvater und eine Großmutter. -
We have a grandfather and a grandmother.
Habt ihr einen Neffen? -
Do you have a nephew?
Meine Nichten haben einen Bruder. -
My nieces have a brother.
haben with Pain
When some parts of your body hurt, you don’t need an article, because these pains (Schmerzen) are plural.
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. -
I have a headache.
Du hast Bauchschmerzen. -
You have a stomach ache.
Er hat Halsschmerzen. -
He has a sore throat.
Wir haben Zahnschmerzen. -
We have a toothache.
haben + gern
Add “gern” to the sentence to change “to have” into “to like”. If you like a sport, you don’t need an article.
Ich habe Fußball gern. -
I like soccer.
Hast du Basketball gern? -
Do you like basketball?
Sie hat Baseball gern. -
She likes baseball.
Wir haben Tennis gern. -
We like tennis.
Habt ihr Golf gern? -
Do you like golf?
Die Kinder haben Handball gern. -
The children like handball.
gern + Other Verbs
You can add “gern” with other verbs to change it from the original verb to liking to do that action. Some people add an “E” to the end of “gern”. This does not change the meaning.
Ich spiele gern Schach. -
I like to play chess.
Tanzt du gerne? -
Do you like to dance?
Meine Schwester schaukelt gern. -
My sister likes to swing.
Wir essen gerne. -
We like to eat.
Arbeitet ihr gern? -
Do you like to work?
Meine Großeltern erzählen gerne Geschichten. -
My grandparents like to tell stories.
Now that you know how to use "haben", your next verb to master is "sein". Click here for the breakdown of "sein" in the present tense. If you are already familiar with "sein", click here to learn other ways to say you like something in German.
Make sure you know all there is to know about the present tense with these articles
Regular Verb Conjugation in Präsens
Stem-Changing Verbs in Präsens
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