sein
to be
The most important German verb. Used to express identity, state, and existence. Also serves as auxiliary in Perfekt for verbs of motion and state change.
Conjugation
Present Tense (Präsens)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bin |
| du | bist |
| er/sie/es | ist |
| wir | sind |
| ihr | seid |
| sie/Sie | sind |
Simple Past (Präteritum)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | war |
| du | warst |
| er/sie/es | war |
| wir | waren |
| ihr | wart |
| sie/Sie | waren |
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Auxiliary | Partizip II |
|---|---|
| sein | gewesen |
z.B.: Ich bin gewesen
Imperative (Imperativ)
| du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|
| sei | seid | seien Sie |
Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | wäre |
| du | wärst |
| er/sie/es | wäre |
| wir | wären |
| ihr | wärt |
| sie/Sie | wären |
Example Sentences
Ich bin Student.
I am a student.
Wir sind gestern angekommen.
We arrived yesterday.
Es wäre schön, wenn du kommen könntest.
It would be nice if you could come.
Usage Tips
Unlike English 'to be', German 'sein' is used as Perfekt auxiliary for motion verbs (gehen, kommen, fahren) and state-change verbs (werden, sterben).
Memorize: ich bin, du bist, er ist — these are completely irregular, no pattern to derive them.
Common Mistakes
Using 'haben' instead of 'sein' in Perfekt: 'Ich habe gegangen'
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