German · Everyday Verbs
"to grow" in German: wachsen
wachsen
To grow in German is wachsen. Say Das Kind wächst or Die Pflanzen sind gewachsen. Das Wachs means wax — a different word.
Garden check
Schau, der Basilikum wächst endlich.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce wachsen
Say it
VAKH-sen
/ˈvaksn̩/
VAKH-sen. Ach-sound after a; soft -en.
"to grow" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| wachsen | to grow Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| wächst / wuchs / gewachsen | grows / grew / grown Key forms. | Key forms. |
| heranwachsen | to grow up People maturing. | People maturing. |
| Wachstum | growth Noun. | Noun. |
How to use wachsen in real life
- 1Garden check
Schau, der Basilikum wächst endlich.
Look, the basil is finally growing.
Wächst.
- 2Kids reunion
Wow — du bist so gewachsen seit Ostern.
Wow — you've grown so much since Easter.
Gewachsen.
- 3City talk
Die Stadt wächst jedes Jahr um Tausende.
The city grows by thousands every year.
Figurative wachsen.
Mistakes English speakers make with wachsen
Incorrect: Das Kind wachst.
Correct: Das Kind wächst.
Present stem changes: wächst with umlaut.
Incorrect: Ich kaufe Wachs für Pflanzen. (meaning grow)
Correct: Die Pflanzen wachsen.
Wachs is wax; growing uses wachsen.
Good to know
Gardeners love talking about what wächst on balconies. For kids, bist du gewachsen? is a classic aunt-and-uncle line.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Checking balcony herbs
ChatPal
Und die Minze?
And the mint?
You
Sie wächst wie verrückt.
It's growing like crazy.
ChatPal
Gut. Letztes Jahr ist nichts gewachsen.
Good. Last year nothing grew.
You
Diesmal mehr Sonne.
More sun this time.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to grow" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to grow" in German
How do you conjugate wachsen?
Ich wachse, du wächst, er wächst; past wuchs; participle gewachsen.
Grown up?
Heranwachsen / erwachsen werden.
Das Wachs?
Means wax — not this verb.
Umlaut?
Yes in du/er: wächst.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
