The verb treffen is a common German verb meaning "to meet." It is irregular because it undergoes a stem change in certain forms (e → i). It can be used for meeting people, hitting a target, or making decisions.
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Present Tense | Past Tense (Präteritum) | Past Participle | English Conjugations |
|---|
| ich | treffe | traf | getroffen | I meet / met / have met |
| du | triffst | trafst | getroffen | you meet / met / have met |
| er/sie/es | trifft | traf | getroffen | he/she/it meets / met / has met |
| wir | treffen | trafen | getroffen | we meet / met / have met |
| ihr | trefft | traft | getroffen | you (pl.) meet / met / have met |
| sie/Sie | treffen | trafen | getroffen | they/you (formal) meet / met / have met |
Usage Examples
Here are some sentences using treffen in different tenses and contexts:
Present Tense
| German | English |
|---|
| Wir treffen uns um 18 Uhr. | We meet at 6 PM. |
| Ich treffe meinen Freund im Café. | I’m meeting my friend at the café. |
| Triffst du heute noch jemanden? | Are you meeting anyone else today? |
Imperfect/Preterite (Past Tense)
| German | English |
|---|
| Ich traf ihn gestern zufällig. | I met him by chance yesterday. |
| Wir trafen uns jeden Freitag. | We used to meet every Friday. |
| Trafst du sie letzte Woche? | Did you meet her last week? |
Perfect (Past with Haben + Participle)
| German | English |
|---|
| Ich habe meinen Lehrer getroffen. | I have met my teacher. |
| Wir haben uns im Park getroffen. | We met each other in the park. |
| Habt ihr die Gruppe getroffen? | Did you meet the group? |
Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) for Hypotheticals
| German | English |
|---|
| Wenn ich dich träfe, würde ich... | If I met you, I would... |
| Träfest du mehr Leute, wärst du beliebter. | If you met more people, you’d be more popular. |
| Sie träfen sich am Wochenende. | They would meet on the weekend. |
Future Tense
| German | English |
|---|
| Ich werde sie morgen treffen. | I will meet her tomorrow. |
| Treffen wir uns nächste Woche? | Shall we meet next week? |
| Du wirst deinen Chef treffen. | You will meet your boss. |
Summary
- treffen means "to meet" (people), "to hit" (a target), or "to make" (a decision) depending on context.
- Irregular stem change: e → i in du/er/sie/es forms (triffst, trifft).
- Past stem: traf- (traf, trafst, trafen, etc.).
- Past participle: getroffen (used with haben).
- Reflexive form: sich treffen (to meet each other).
Now you know how to use treffen in different tenses and situations. Keep practicing by making your own example sentences!
