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Translation of German word "haben" to English

haben

/haːbn̩/

Meaning

Verb

To possess, own.

Reviewed by the TheLernen language teamDefinition sourced from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How to use

haben ('to have') is one of the two core auxiliary verbs in German. Besides showing possession, it forms the perfect tense of most verbs (Ich habe gegessen — I have eaten). It is irregular: ich habe, du hast, er hat, wir haben.

🇬🇧 English

to have

Example

Schauen Sie, was ich hier habe – einen Frosch, den ich auf der Straße gefunden habe!

Look what I have here - a frog I found on the street!

Der Herd hat einen Griff. Das Hemd hat Ärmel.

The stove has a handle. The shirt has sleeves.

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Synonyms

to ownto have at one's disposal

Common phrases

  • Zeit haben— to have time
  • Recht haben— to be right
  • Hunger haben— to be hungry
  • Angst haben— to be afraid

More Core Verbs words

🦊 Conjugation of the verb "haben"Full conjugation →

Present Tense (Präsens)

ich (I)habe
du (you)hast
er/sie/es (he/she/it)hat
wir (we)haben
ihr (you pl.)habt
sie/Sie (they/you formal)haben

Simple Past (Präteritum)

ich (I)hatte
er/sie/es (he/she/it)hatte

Perfect (Perfekt)

ich habe gehabt

Imperative (Imperativ)

duhab(e)
ihrhabt
SieHaben Sie

Frequency rank: #152 in German

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of the German word "haben"?▼

The German word "haben" is defined as: "To possess, own."

What does the German word "haben" mean?▼

The German word "haben" means "to have" in English.

How do you pronounce the German word "haben"?▼

You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "haben" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.

Can I see an example sentence with "haben"?▼

Yes, here is a practical example: "Schauen Sie, was ich hier habe – einen Frosch, den ich auf der Straße gefunden habe!" (which translates as "Look what I have here - a frog I found on the street!").

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