German Phrase
Ich will ein erfülltes Leben führen.
Meaning
The sentence means “I want to lead a fulfilling life.” It expresses a personal desire or goal, emphasizing the quality of life one wishes to achieve. The verb ‘führen’ is used here in the sense of ‘to lead’ or ‘to live’ a certain kind of life.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about long‑term personal goals, life‑planning conversations, or when sharing your aspirations with friends, mentors, or a therapist. It’s a reflective statement rather than a concrete, short‑term plan.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IchwilleinerfülltesLebenführen
Subject Pronoun (Ich)
‘Ich’ is the first‑person singular pronoun and always capitalised in German.
Modal Verb ‘will’
‘Will’ is the present tense of ‘wollen’, a modal verb that expresses desire. It is followed by an infinitive verb (here ‘führen’).
Indefinite Article ‘ein’
‘Ein’ is the neuter indefinite article used before ‘Leben’, which is a neuter noun.
Adjective Declension ‘erfülltes’
Because ‘Leben’ is neuter singular and follows an indefinite article, the adjective takes the weak ending ‘‑es’.
Noun ‘Leben’ (neuter)
‘Leben’ means ‘life’ and is neuter, so its article and adjective endings follow neuter patterns.
Infinitive ‘führen’
The main verb appears in its infinitive form after the modal verb ‘will’. ‘Führen’ here means ‘to lead’ or ‘to live (a certain kind of life)’.
🗨In Conversation
Was sind deine Ziele für die nächsten fünf Jahre?
What are your goals for the next five years?
Ich will ein erfülltes Leben führen.
I want to lead a fulfilling life.
✕Common Mistakes
Ich will ein erfülltes Leben führen.
Using ‘will’ sounds very strong; beginners often prefer ‘möchte’ for a softer tone.
Ich will ein erfüllte Leben führen.
The adjective must agree in case, gender, and number; ‘erfülltes’ is correct for neuter singular accusative.
Ich will ein erfülltes Leben führe.
Do not conjugate the infinitive after a modal verb; keep it in its base form.
↔Alternatives
Ich möchte ein erfülltes Leben haben.
I would like to have a fulfilling life.
Ich strebe ein erfülltes Leben an.
I strive for a fulfilling life.
Ich will ein glückliches und sinnvolles Leben führen.
I want to lead a happy and meaningful life.
Cultural Tip
In German, expressing personal aspirations often uses ‘möchten’ for a softer, more polite tone, while ‘will’ sounds decisive and strong. Be aware that ‘ein erfülltes Leben’ is a broad, somewhat philosophical concept; Germans may follow up with concrete steps (e.g., “Durch meine Arbeit…”) to show how they plan to achieve it. Regional dialects might replace ‘führen’ with ‘leben’ (e.g., “ein erfülltes Leben leben”), but the standard form is preferred in formal writing and speech.