sein
to be
Used as a main verb to express existence, identity, a state, or a quality.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin müde und das Wetter ist schön.
I am tired and the weather is nice.
sein
to be
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Meanings
sein
to be
Used as an auxiliary verb to form the compound past tense Perfekt with certain verbs, usually verbs of movement or change of state.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind gestern ins Kino gegangen.
We went to the cinema yesterday.
sein
to be
Used as an auxiliary verb to form the stative passive, which describes a state as the result of a completed action.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sturm war das Fenster geöffnet.
After the storm, the window was open.
Usage tips
Irregular verb
'Sein' (to be) is the most irregular verb in German. Its forms, such as 'ich bin' (I am), 'du bist' (you are), 'er ist' (he is), and 'ich war' (I was), do not follow a normal pattern and must be memorized.
EXAMPLE
Du bist mein bester Freund.
You are my best friend.
Verb vs. pronoun
The word 'sein' can also be a possessive pronoun and then means 'his' or 'its'. Pay attention to the context: the verb is conjugated, as in 'er ist' (he is), while the pronoun stands before a noun, as in 'sein Auto' (his car).
EXAMPLE
Er ist sehr nett.
He is very nice.
Common use of the simple past
Although spoken German often uses the Perfekt, with 'sein' (to be) you almost always use the simple past: 'war' (was), 'warst' (were), 'waren' (were). It sounds more natural than the Perfekt form 'ist gewesen' (has been).
EXAMPLE
Ich war letztes Jahr in Italien.
I was in Italy last year.
Sentence structure with nominative
When 'sein' (to be) connects two nouns, both are in the nominative. This is an exception, since most verbs take an accusative object.
EXAMPLE
Mein Vater ist ein guter Arzt.
My father is a good doctor.
Auxiliary verb for the Perfekt
'Sein' (to be) is used as an auxiliary verb for the Perfekt with verbs of movement, such as 'gehen' (to go), 'fahren' (to travel/go by vehicle), and 'fliegen' (to fly), and with verbs of change of state, such as 'aufwachen' (to wake up) and 'sterben' (to die).
EXAMPLE
Ich bin heute früh aufgewacht.
I woke up early today.
Forming the stative passive
The combination 'sein + Partizip II' (to be + past participle) describes a state that is the result of an action. It answers the question: 'What is the state now?'
EXAMPLE
Die Tür ist geschlossen.
The door is closed.
Compare with
sein vs haben
to have
Sein and haben both form the perfect tense, but the choice depends on the specific verb and how it is used. With an intransitive change of location or state, sein is usually used; with a transitive use and an accusative object, haben is used.
sein
Sie ist mit dem Auto nach Hause gefahren.
She drove home in the car.
haben
Sie hat das Auto nach Hause gefahren.
She drove the car home.
In real life
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