ruft

Ruft is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb rufen. The verb rufen means to call, cry out, or summon, and it can also be used in reference to making a telephone call when used with the separable prefix an (as in anrufen). In present tense, typical sentences include Er ruft mich (He is calling me). The standard conjugation for the present indicative is: ich rufe, du rufst, er ruft, wir rufen, ihr ruft, sie rufen. The simple past is rief, and the perfect is hat gerufen. Rufen is a transitive verb and commonly takes a direct object, for example Sie ruft ihren Namen or Er ruft den Kellner.

In usage, ruft can describe calling someone in person or signaling for help, as well as initiating a telephone call when the verb is used without the separable prefix. With the prefix an, the verb changes meaning to telephone, as in Er ruft mich heute Abend an. The form ruft therefore appears as the finite verb form in sentences involving a third-person singular subject.

Etymology and related forms: rufen originates from Germanic linguistic roots and has cognates across West Germanic languages. The noun Ruf, meaning “call” or “reputation,” is related and appears in compounds such as Weckruf (wake-up call) or Rufnummer (phone number). While ruft is exclusively a verb form, its presence within compounds and inflected forms ties it to broader semantic fields centered on calling, summoning, or signaling.

See also: rufen, Ruf, Weckruf, Rufnummer, anrufen.