When to use “wünschen”, “möchten” and “wollen” in German
There are several ways in German to express that you would like to have or do something, but some of them are a bit tricky. After reading this article, you know how to apply all of them properly. Often, German students try to translate directly from their known languages to German. Unfortunately, this causes some common mistakes when it comes to wanting something. Therefore, we will check out the verbs “wünschen”, “möchten” and “wollen”.
Recommended study materials on the topic:
Exercise – German modal verbs in the present tense (incl. answers)
Exercise – German modal verbs in the past tense (incl. answers)
Conversation exercise – speaking with modal verbs in the present tense
Conversation exercise – speaking with modal verbs in the past tense
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
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When to use “wünschen” in German
In English and many other languages, one can “wish” something, e.g., a glass of water if you would like to have it. The German verb “wünschen” means “to wish,” but it must be used in different content. Back in time, it was common to say “Ich wünsche ein Glas Wasser” and until today a waiter in a fancy restaurant might ask you “Was wünschen Sie?” or “Sie wünschen bitte?”. However, “wünschen” is generally used to express a wish for somebody or something nowadays.
This could be “Ich wünsche dir alles Gute” (I am wishing you all the best) or “Zum Geburstag wünsche ich mir eine Puppe“ (I am wishing a doll for my birthday). As you can see, this verb is typically not used to express the wish for a glass of water or a plan you would like to realize. Instead, it is used to express a wish you give to somebody from your heart or to express a desire that you cannot say about that you will be able to get or realize it. In the example, somebody wishes for a doll for their birthday, but the person does not know if this will really happen or not.
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What can we use instead of “wünschen”?
Well, there are two more verbs that you can use – it is “möchten” and “wollen”. “Möchten” means “would like to,” and “wollen” in German is equivalent to “want.” As you can quickly see by the English translation, “möchten” is the politer version than “wollen” in German. Remember this because most of the time, especially when interacting with others, like in a restaurant, you will want to use “möchten” because otherwise, it will sound rude to Germans. If you want to express that you want to do something (like a plan) or your mood has changed from polite to a bit angrier, it is time to use the verb “wollen” in German.
Both of them belong to the German modal verbs. This means:
If used with a second verb, the second verb comes to the very end of the sentence in the infinitive form. (“Ich will heute keine Hausaufgabe machen.”)
The “ich” and “er, sie, es“-forms will be the same.
In Addition, both verbs can:
Be used with a noun instead of a second verb. (Ich möchte einen Kaffee bitte).
The conjugation of “möchten” and “wollen”
| ich | möchte | will |
| du | möchtest | willst |
| er | möchte | will |
| sie | möchte | will |
| es | möchte | will |
| wir | möchten | wollen |
| ihr | möchtet | wollt |
| sie | möchten | wollen |
| Sie | möchten | wollen |
Now that you read this article, you should be confident about when to use “wünschen”, “möchten” and “wollen” in German. If you want to know more about the topic, check out the difference between “wollen” and “möchten.“
Bis bald!
Steffie
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