wollen
/ˈvɔlən/
The German phrase for 'want' is wollen.
wollen is used to express having a desire or wish for something. As a modal verb, it is typically used with another verb in the infinitive, which is placed at the end of the sentence.
Which one should you use?
wollen expresses a strong, direct desire or intention. In contrast, möchten (would like) is used as a more polite way to express a wish or request.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb wollen conjugates as follows: the first-person singular is will (I want), the second-person singular informal is willst (you want) and the second-person plural informal is wollt (you want). The first-person plural and third-person plural forms are both wollen (we want / they want). The simple past tense (Präteritum) is wollte (wanted).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɔlən/
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, using wollen can imply that the speaker is claiming something to be true, even if others doubt it.
- In English, 'will' is often a helper verb for the future, but it is a direct cognate of wollen, reflecting an ancient root meaning 'to wish' or 'to desire'.
- In German, if you use wollen to order food in a restaurant, you might sound incredibly rude or even aggressive to the waiter.
Examples in context
- Ich möchte ein Glas Wasser, bitte.I would like a glass of water, please.
- Ich will Pizza essen.I want to eat pizza.
- Ich will Eis essen.I want to eat ice cream.
- Ich will ein großes Schokoladeneis essen.I want to eat a large chocolate ice cream.
- Wir wollen nach Hause gehen.We want to go home.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry wollen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries wollen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
