wollen
to want to
wollen means to want to.
Use wollen for a strong wish or intention. In polite medical German, prefer möchten.
We use Präteritum to describe past situations: patient histories, what happened yesterday, or what the doctor said.
| Person | Context | wollen |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | wollte |
| du | you (one person, informal) | wolltest |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | wollte |
| wir | we | wollten |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | wolltet |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | wollten |
German has three ways to say you:
- du – informal, one person
- ihr – informal, several people
- Sie – formal, one or more people (always capitalised when it means “you”)
The word sie (lowercase) can also mean she or they. Context and the verb form tell them apart:
- sie ist = she is
- sie sind = they are
- Sie sind = you are (formal)
Clinical register: In medical practice, use Sie with patients. Du/ihr are for colleagues, friends, or family.
Medical examples with the three you forms:
- Du wolltest die Untersuchung machen
You (informal, one person) wanted to have the examination - Ihr wolltet die Untersuchung machen
You (informal, several people) wanted to have the examination - Sie wollten die Untersuchung machen
You (formal) wanted to have the examination
- die Untersuchung machen – have the examination
- nach Hause gehen – go home
- gut schlafen – sleep well
- den Arzt sprechen – speak to the doctor
- Affirmative: Ich wollte die Untersuchung machen.
I wanted to have the examination - Negative: Du wolltest nicht nach Hause gehen.
You (informal, one person) did not want to go home - Affirmative: Der Patient wollte gut schlafen.
The patient wanted to sleep well - Affirmative: Sie wollten den Arzt sprechen.
You (formal) wanted to speak to the doctor - Question: Wolltest du die Untersuchung machen?
Did you (informal, one person) want to have the examination? - Negative: Wir wollten nicht nach Hause gehen.
We did not want to go home
- Conjugation — type the correct form for each person.
- Multiple choice — pick the verb that fits the sentence.
- Fill in the blank — type the missing modal form.
- Reorder — put the words in correct German order (modal in position 2, infinitive at the end).
- Dialogue — fill in the missing verb at the start of a doctor-patient question.
- Error correction — find and fix the wrong verb form.
- Translate — write the German sentence from English.
- Match — pair persons with forms or verbs with meanings.
Translate to German: You (formal) wanted to have the examination
Show answer
Sie wollten die Untersuchung machen.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) did not want to go home
Show answer
Du wolltest nicht nach Hause gehen.
Ask the question in German: Did you (informal, one person) want to sleep well?
Show answer
Wolltest du gut schlafen?
Put the words in the correct order: sprechen / wollte / Patient / Der / Arzt / den
Show answer
Der Patient wollte den Arzt sprechen
- Meaning: wollen means to want to.
- Key forms: Präteritum forms of wollen: ich wollte, du wolltest, er/sie/es wollte, wir wollten, ihr wolltet, sie/Sie wollten.
- Word order: Subject + Präteritum form of the modal + main verb at the end.
- Register: Use Sie with patients; du/ihr with peers, friends or family.
Practice this verb with exercises, or take a mixed test with all verbs.