A1 · beginner #WOLLEN

wollen

das Modalverb wollen

wollen is a German modal verb meaning “to want”: ich will, du willst, er will.

The dictionary says “to want”, so a learner says Ich will einen Kaffee in a restaurant and the waiter’s eyebrow goes up. wollen is the right verb but the wrong tone — this page sets both the conjugation and the tone.

Contents

Conjugation: ich and er are identical, and neither takes an ending

ShortcutWith modal verbs the ich and er/sie/es forms are identical and take no ending: ich will · er will.

With regular verbs the two split: ich lerne · er lernt. Modal verbs make no such distinction, and in the singular the stem vowel changes too: wollen → will. The only modal that doesn’t do this is sollen (ich soll).

Person	wollen	Example
ich	will	Ich will schlafen.
du	willst	Willst du mitkommen?
er / sie / es	will	Er will nach Berlin.
wir	wollen	Wir wollen essen.
ihr	wollt	Wollt ihr kommen?
sie / Sie	wollen	Sie wollen bezahlen.

The two marked rows are the same: ich will and er will. English speakers add an ending here by reflex — “he wants” — and end up with er willt. Forms like ich wille and er willt do not exist.

What wollen means: a decision already made

wollen is not just “I want” — it is “I’ve made up my mind”. There is an intention, a plan, a will behind it. That makes it a strong verb, and depending on the situation it can sound harsh.

Ich will Deutsch lernen. I want to learn German. decision · goal
Willst du mitkommen? Do you want to come along? invitation
Wir wollen im Sommer nach Italien. We want to go to Italy in the summer. plan · the verb can drop
Er will das nicht. He doesn’t want that. without an infinitive
Was willst du werden? What do you want to be? career question
Ich wollte dich anrufen. I was going to call you. past · wollte

When the direction is clear, the second verb can drop: Ich will nach Hause — you understand it even though “go” is never said. This shortcut is specific to modal verbs and very common in everyday speech.

Sentence structure: modal second, infinitive last

ShortcutThe conjugated verb is in second position, the main verb is an infinitive at the end of the sentence. Everything in between stays in the middle.

Sentence type	Structure	Example
Statement	1 · will · … · infinitive	Ich will morgen früh aufstehen.
Question	Will · subject · … · infinitive	Willst du heute kommen?
Negative	nicht goes before the infinitive	Ich will heute nicht arbeiten.
W-question	W-word · will · subject · infinitive	Was willst du essen?

The infinitive is not conjugated: Ich will aufstehen, not Ich will aufstehe. And no zu goes in front of the infinitive — unlike English “to”, modal verbs take no zu.

wollen or möchten — this is the real issue

ShortcutWhen you are asking for something (café, shop, reception), always use möchten. wollen is for stating your decision.

Both are correct German; the difference is not grammar but tone. wollen says “I want this, my mind is made up” — like a child or a boss. möchten says “I’d like…, could I have…”. English has exactly the same split: “I want a coffee” sounds blunt to a waiter, “I’d like a coffee” sounds normal. The trap is that the dictionary gives you only “want” — so learners use it everywhere and sound rude without noticing.

Ich will einen Kaffee.

I want a coffee. — sounds childish or blunt

Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte.

I’d like a coffee, please.

Ich will Ärztin werden.

I want to become a doctor. (my decision)

Situation	Right verb	Why
Ordering in a café	möchten	You are asking, not commanding
In a shop	möchten	Same reason
Talking about your goal	wollen	It expresses decision and will
Offering something to someone	Möchten Sie…?	Wollen Sie…? sounds less polite

möchten is actually the polite form of the verb mögen; it has its own page here.

Traps

TRAP 01

ich wille · er willt

Modal verbs take no personal ending; ich and er use the same form.

Er willt nach Hause gehen.

no -t ending on a modal

Er will nach Hause gehen.

He wants to go home.

TRAP 02

Conjugating the infinitive or adding zu

The second verb stays an infinitive, and no zu follows a modal verb.

Ich will zu schlafen.

a modal takes no zu

Ich will schlafen.

I want to sleep.

TRAP 03

Using wollen when ordering

You will be understood, but you come across as rude. In Germany the standard verb when you ask for a service is möchten.

Ich will zahlen.

sounds blunt

Ich möchte zahlen, bitte.

Could I have the bill, please?

Practice now

What you just learned

Was ___ du werden?
Show the answer
willst. The modal verb wollen (to want) is irregular. With du the stem vowel changes and it becomes willst.
“Ich wille nach Berlin.” is a correct sentence.
Show the answer
False. With modal verbs the ich form takes no ending: it must be Ich will.
I’d like a coffee. (in a café)
Show the answer
Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte. — möchte. When ordering, tone matters: will sounds like a command, and mag means “I like” — that is not an order.

The other modal verbs

Same group

Modal verbs — overview mögen · möchten The verb können The verb müssen The verb dürfen The verb sollen

07Build

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Tips

Know this before the test

The core of the topic in three lines, then the mistakes people make most often.

wollen = your own decision
A strong, clear wish: Ich will Ärztin werden. The language of plans and goals.
Er will nach Hause gehen.
When ordering, use möchte
will at the table sounds like a child insisting; the language of service is möchte + bitte.
Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte.
Conjugation: will/willst
ich/er will · du willst · wir/sie wollen · ihr wollt — no umlaut, just like sollen.
Willst du mitkommen?
The frame never changes
Modal second, infinitive last: Was willst du heute machen?
Ich will heute nicht arbeiten.

Ich will einen Kaffee. (to the waiter)
Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte.
The grammar is right, the tone is wrong — an order calls for möchte.
Du willt mitkommen?
Willst du mitkommen?
du → willst; the question starts with the verb.
Ich will morgen arbeite.
Ich will morgen arbeiten.
After a modal comes the infinitive.
Er will Arzt sein. (meaning: he wants to enter the profession)
Er will Arzt werden.
Entering a profession takes werden; the version with sein shifts to the meaning “claims to be” at B1.

0706:10

Test yourself

Tap an answer — we will look at why together.

He wants to go home.

Er will. With modal verbs the er/sie/es form is the same as ich and takes no ending.

I’d like a coffee. (in a café)

möchte. When ordering, tone matters: will sounds like a command, and mag means “I like” — that is not an order.

Ich will morgen .

I want to work tomorrow.

arbeiten. After a modal verb the second verb stays an infinitive and takes no zu.

Do you want to come along?

Willst du. The du form is willst; in a question the verb moves to the front.

I don’t want to work today.

nicht goes before the infinitive. The negation word stands right before the infinitive at the end of the sentence.

I want to become a doctor. (my decision)

Ich will Ärztin werden. This is about a goal and a decision → wollen is the right verb. The infinitive is not conjugated and takes no zu.

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Worksheet

wollen pocket card

This whole page — tables, traps, examples — as one PDF. Download it, print it, run through it before the exam.

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Dativ verbs

helfen · gefallen · gehören · geben

Dativ verbs are German verbs whose object goes in the dative case: helfen, gefallen, gehören, geben.

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Verbs