German A1 Lesson 7: The Verb "Haben" (To Have) — How to Conjugate and Use It

A1

German · Grammar · Lesson 7

The Verb "Haben" (To Have): How to Conjugate and Use It

Deutsch lernen — Das Verb "haben"

Alongside sein (to be), the verb haben (to have) is the second essential building block of German grammar. You've already seen it in action — "Ich habe einen Bruder," "Ich habe drei Jahre Erfahrung." Now let's learn the full conjugation properly.

Conjugation of "Haben"

German	Pronunciation	English Meaning
ich habe	ikh HAH-beh	I have
du hast	doo hahst	you have (informal)
er/sie/es hat	air/zee/es haht	he/she/it has
wir haben	veer HAH-ben	we have
ihr habt	eer hahpt	you have (plural informal)
sie/Sie haben	zee HAH-ben	they have / you have (formal)

Tip: notice the pattern — du and er/sie/es drop the "-en" ending and shorten irregularly. These two forms are the ones worth memorizing extra carefully.

Using "Haben" in Sentences

Ich habe einen Hund. I have a dog.

Hast du Zeit? Do you have time?

Wir haben eine Frage. We have a question.

Example Conversation

Lukas Hast du heute Zeit? Do you have time today?

Mira Nein, ich habe heute viel Arbeit. Und morgen? No, I have a lot of work today. What about tomorrow?

Lukas Morgen habe ich Zeit. Wir haben eine Frage für dich. Tomorrow I have time. We have a question for you.

Practice Quiz

1. Fill in the Blank
   Ich _______ einen Hund. (I have a dog.)
   Show answer

   habe
2. Fill in the Blank
   _______ du Zeit? (Do you have time?)
   Show answer

   Hast
3. Fill in the Blank
   Wir _______ eine Frage. (We have a question.)
   Show answer

   haben
4. Multiple Choice
   Which form of "haben" goes with "er" (he)?
   • A) er habe
   • B) er hat
   • C) er haben
   Show answer

   B) er hat
5. Multiple Choice
   What does "ihr habt" mean?
   • A) we have
   • B) they have
   • C) you (plural, informal) have
   Show answer

   C) you (plural, informal) have
6. Multiple Choice
   Which sentence correctly means "We have a question"?
   • A) Wir hat eine Frage.
   • B) Wir haben eine Frage.
   • C) Wir habt eine Frage.
   Show answer

   B) Wir haben eine Frage.
7. True or False
   "Du hast" means "you have" (informal).
   Wahr (True) Falsch (False)
   Show answer

   Wahr (True)
8. True or False
   "Sie haben" can only mean "they have," never "you have."
   Wahr (True) Falsch (False)
   Show answer

   Falsch (False) — "Sie haben" (capital S) is also the formal "you have"
9. True or False
   "Haben" is used to talk about possession, like "sein" is used to describe states of being.
   Wahr (True) Falsch (False)
   Show answer

   Wahr (True)

Tip: Practice "sein" and "haben" side by side — together they form the backbone of almost every basic German sentence you'll build.please comment if you want to suggest me any new content or new topic suggestions.

You May Also Like

Basic German for Job Interviews: Essential Phrases & Vocabulary German · Real Life · Lesson 6 German A1 Lesson 5: The Verb "Sein" (To Be) — How to Conjugate and Use It German · Grammar · Lesson 5 German A1 Lesson 4: Family Members – Vocabulary & How to Talk About Your Family German · Basics · Lesson 4 German A1 Lesson 3: Days of the Week & Talking About Your Schedule German · Basics · Lesson 3 German A1 Lesson 2: Numbers 0–20 & How to Ask Someone's Age German · Basics · Lesson 2 German A1 Lesson 1: Basic Greetings & How to Introduce Yourself German · Basics · Lesson 1