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 the perfect tense to say what someone has had to do, has been able to do, etc. The modal stays as an infinitive at the very end.
In the perfect tense the modal verb stays as an infinitive at the end. The auxiliary haben is conjugated:
| Person | Context | haben (auxiliary) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe |
| du | you (one person, informal) | hast |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | hat |
| wir | we | haben |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | habt |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | haben |
Structure: subject + haben + ... + main verb infinitive + wollen
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 hast die Untersuchung machen wollen
You (informal, one person) have wanted to have the examination - Ihr habt die Untersuchung machen wollen
You (informal, several people) have wanted to have the examination - Sie haben die Untersuchung machen wollen
You (formal) have 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 habe die Untersuchung machen wollen.
I have wanted to have the examination - Negative: Du hast nicht nach Hause gehen wollen.
You (informal, one person) have not wanted to go home - Affirmative: Der Patient hat gut schlafen wollen.
The patient has wanted to sleep well - Affirmative: Sie haben den Arzt sprechen wollen.
You (formal) have wanted to speak to the doctor - Question: Hast du die Untersuchung machen wollen?
Have you (informal, one person) wanted to have the examination? - Negative: Wir haben nicht nach Hause gehen wollen.
We have not wanted 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) have wanted to have the examination
Show answer
Sie haben die Untersuchung machen wollen.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) have not wanted to go home
Show answer
Du hast nicht nach Hause gehen wollen.
Ask the question in German: Have you (informal, one person) wanted to sleep well?
Show answer
Hast du gut schlafen wollen?
Put the words in the correct order: Der / hat / sprechen / wollen / Arzt / den / Patient
Show answer
Der Patient hat den Arzt sprechen wollen
- Meaning: wollen means to want to.
- Key forms: In the perfect tense, wollen stays as an infinitive at the very end, after the main verb: the double-infinitive order is ... + main verb + wollen.
- Word order: Subject + haben (conjugated) + ... + main verb infinitive + modal infinitive.
- 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.