01
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
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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 ihr
you / her / their
'sein' and 'ihr' are both very common small words, but they have different functions. 'sein' is a verb and says that someone or something exists, has a quality, or is in a state. It can also be used as an auxiliary verb, for example in the Perfekt. 'ihr' is a pronoun or a possessive article: it can address a group directly, refer something to a female person, or express possession. Learners often confuse words like these because they are short and have many forms. The important point is: 'sein' is a verb in the sentence; 'ihr' refers to people or possession.
sein
Die Lehrerin ist heute in der Pause sehr geduldig.
The teacher is very patient during the break today.
ihr
Nach der Arbeit sucht die Chefin ihr Handy im Auto.
After work, the boss looks for her phone in the car.
In real life
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