ich plane
The English phrase "I am planning" is expressed in German as ich plane.
The phrase is used to state that someone is making arrangements or intending to do something in the future. The verb planen means "to plan".
Which one should you use?
You can also use the phrase ich habe vor to mean "I intend" or "I plan". While ich plane focuses on the process of making a plan, ich habe vor focuses more on the intention itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The German present tense ich plane covers both the English "I plan" and the continuous "I am planning". When 'planning' is followed by an action, you use the construction plane + zu + infinitive, such as in ich plane etwas zu tun (I am planning to do something).
Did you know?
- In German, the word planen is also used in construction to describe the process of leveling a piece of ground to make it flat.
- The phrase ich habe vor shares the same root as the word for 'front' or 'before', implying that the intention is something placed in front of the speaker.
- In professional contexts, a German speaker might use organisieren instead of planen to describe the act of arranging an event, as planen can sound too theoretical.
Examples in context
- Ich plane eine Geschäftsreise nach Berlin.I am planning a business trip to Berlin.
- Ich bin dabei, meine nächste Reise zu planen.I am in the process of planning my next trip.
- Ich habe vor, dieses Wochenende zum Strand zu fahren.I intend to go to the beach this weekend.
- Ich denke darüber nach, meinen Urlaub in den Alpen zu verbringen.I am thinking about spending my vacation in the Alps.
- Ich plane eine Reise nach Berlin.I am planning a trip to Berlin.
- Ich plane, am Wochenende zu wandern.I am planning to go hiking this weekend.
- Ich plane das Projekt für nächste Woche.I am planning the project for next week.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans in a cafe.
- JuliaWas machst du am Samstag, Lukas?What are you doing on Saturday, Lukas?
- LukasIch plane, einen Ausflug zu machen.I am planning to go on an excursion.
- JuliaDas klingt gut! Kann ich mitkommen?That sounds good! Can I come along?
- LukasJa, Julia, sehr gerne!Yes, Julia, I would love to!
