A1-31 · Say what you want to do with wollen
Wishes and plans
Use wollen for intentions and plans, with the infinitive at the end, and compare it with polite möchte.
About 5 minutes to read · 13 quiz questions
01
A clear intention
Wollen means to want to. The singular forms are ich will, du willst and er/sie will. German will expresses a wish or intention here; it is not the English future word will.
Ich will Deutsch lernen.
I want to learn German.
Du willst nach Berlin reisen.
You want to travel to Berlin.
Mara will heute arbeiten.
Mara wants to work today.
Ben will ein Buch lesen.
Ben wants to read a book.
Put the activity at the end: Ich will Deutsch lernen. Lernen means to learn, reisen to travel and arbeiten to work.
02
Plans together
The plural forms are wir wollen, ihr wollt and sie wollen. Formal Sie takes wollen too. A group can say what it intends to do at the weekend.
Wir wollen am Samstag kochen.
We want to cook on Saturday.
Ihr wollt am Sonntag wandern.
You want to go hiking on Sunday.
Die Freunde wollen zusammen essen.
The friends want to eat together.
Am Samstag wollen wir einkaufen.
We want to go shopping on Saturday.
Start with a time phrase if you like: Am Samstag wollen wir kochen. The modal stays second, then comes the subject, and the infinitive stays last.
03
Ask about a plan
Put wollen first in a yes/no question: Willst du mitkommen? Mitkommen means to come along. For a polite order in a café, möchte is usually softer than will.
Willst du mitkommen?
Do you want to come along?
Wollt ihr morgen reisen?
Do you want to travel tomorrow?
Ich will heute nicht arbeiten.
I do not want to work today.
Mara möchte auch mitkommen.
Mara would also like to come along.
Ich will einen Kaffee can sound demanding. Ich möchte einen Kaffee is a polite wish. With an activity, both use a final infinitive: Ich möchte mitkommen.
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