Good to know. Regular (weak) verb: Präteritum with -te (ich machte), Partizip with ge- and -t (gemacht). Most German verbs work like this.
leben in every tense
The three you'll use most are highlighted: Präsens for now, Perfekt for the past when you speak, Futur I for later.
Präsens
now
| ich | lebeI live |
|---|---|
| du | lebstyou live |
| er/sie/es | lebthe/she lives |
| wir | lebenwe live |
| ihr | lebtyou live |
| sie/Sie | lebenthey live |
Präteritum
past, mostly written
| ich | lebteI lived |
|---|---|
| du | lebtestyou lived |
| er/sie/es | lebtehe/she lived |
| wir | lebtenwe lived |
| ihr | lebtetyou lived |
| sie/Sie | lebtenthey lived |
Perfekt
past, spoken, with haben
| ich | habe gelebtI have lived |
|---|---|
| du | hast gelebtyou have lived |
| er/sie/es | hat gelebthe/she has lived |
| wir | haben gelebtwe have lived |
| ihr | habt gelebtyou have lived |
| sie/Sie | haben gelebtthey have lived |
Plusquamperfekt
had done
| ich | hatte gelebtI had lived |
|---|---|
| du | hattest gelebtyou had lived |
| er/sie/es | hatte gelebthe/she had lived |
| wir | hatten gelebtwe had lived |
| ihr | hattet gelebtyou had lived |
| sie/Sie | hatten gelebtthey had lived |
Futur I
will do
| ich | werde lebenI will live |
|---|---|
| du | wirst lebenyou will live |
| er/sie/es | wird lebenhe/she will live |
| wir | werden lebenwe will live |
| ihr | werdet lebenyou will live |
| sie/Sie | werden lebenthey will live |
Imperativ
telling someone to do it
| du | Leb! |
|---|---|
| ihr | Lebt! |
| Sie | Leben Sie! |
leben in use
- A1
Ich lebe seit drei Jahren in Berlin.
I've been living in Berlin for three years.
- A1
Leben deine Großeltern noch?
Are your grandparents still alive?
- A2
Er hat lange im Ausland gelebt.
He lived abroad for a long time.
Good to know
- leben = live (life, a place); wohnen = live (at an address).
- Regular: lebte, gelebt.
Build it yourself.
Ziplex has a Verben bauen game: build verb forms from tiles, with the verbs from your own posts. Plus short posts at your level to see them in action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is leben with haben or sein in the Perfekt?
leben takes haben. For example: habe gelebt.
What is the past tense of leben?
Präteritum: lebte. Perfekt: habe gelebt.
Is leben a regular verb?
Yes, it's regular (weak).