01
haben
to have
Expresses possession or belonging.
example
Ich habe ein neues Fahrrad.
I have a new bicycle.
haben
to have
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Auxiliary verb for the perfect tense
'Haben' (to have) is the most important auxiliary verb for forming the present perfect tense. It is combined with the past participle of the main verb, which stands at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe gestern einen interessanten Artikel gelesen.
I read an interesting article yesterday.
Common mistake: necessity
To express necessity, English 'to have to', German uses the modal verb 'müssen' (must / to have to). The construction 'etwas zu haben' means that you possess something, not that you have to do something.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss morgen früh aufstehen.
I have to get up early tomorrow.
Modal verb substitute
The structure 'haben + zu + infinitive' expresses an obligation or necessity, similar to 'müssen' (must / to have to). This form is often used in more formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Alle Mitarbeiter haben die neuen Sicherheitsregeln zu beachten.
All employees must observe the new safety rules.
Typical collocations
'Haben' (to have) is used in many fixed expressions for feelings and states. Typical examples are: Hunger haben (to be hungry), Durst haben (to be thirsty), Angst haben (to be afraid), Glück haben (to be lucky), or Recht haben (to be right).
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, du wirst Glück haben bei der Prüfung.
Don't worry, you will be lucky on the exam.
Fixed expression with dative
The expression 'mit etwas/jemandem zu tun haben' (to have to do with something/someone) describes a connection or relationship. The preposition 'mit' always requires the dative here.
EXAMPLE
Seine Entscheidung hat nichts mit dir zu tun.
His decision has nothing to do with you.
Fixed expression with accusative
To express dislike, you use the phrase 'etwas gegen jemanden/etwas haben' (to have something against someone/something). The preposition 'gegen' always takes the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe nichts gegen deinen neuen Freund.
I have nothing against your new boyfriend.
Compare with
haben vs sein
to be
'sein' and 'haben' are both very important verbs and are also used as auxiliary verbs. As a main verb, 'sein' tends to describe a state, a quality, a place, or an identity: someone is tired, at home, or a doctor. 'haben' tends to describe possession, belonging, feelings, or characteristics: someone has a car, is hungry, or has blue eyes. As auxiliary verbs, both form the Perfekt, but not with the same verbs. Learners often confuse them because similar ideas are expressed differently in some languages. A simple guide is: for states and qualities, you often use 'sein'; for possession and many feelings, you often use 'haben'.
haben
Haben Sie beim Termin Ihre Gesundheitskarte dabei?
Do you have your health insurance card with you for the appointment?
sein
Am Abend sind wir nach der langen Reise sehr müde.
In the evening, after the long journey, we are very tired.
In real life
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