In this lesson, you will learn which verbs form the perfect tense with sein in German. You will also learn how to use the past tense or perfect tense.
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How to form perfect tense with sein?
Regular Verbs
Irregular Verbs
Which verbs form the perfect tense with sein?
Regional Variants
Perfect tense with haben
How to form perfect tense with sein?
German has a concept in the present perfect tense that no longer exists in English.
Certain German verbs require sein as their auxiliary in the present perfect tense rather than haben. In an earlier form of English, the same thing occurred with the verb to be.
When sein is the auxiliary in the perfect tense, the past participles still have the same regular and irregular formations as those with haben.
For example:
| reisen | fahren |
| ich bin gereist (I have traveled) du bist gereist (you have traveled) er ist gereist (he has traveled) wir sind gereist (we have traveled) ihr seid gereist (you have traveled) sie / Sie sind gereist (they /You have traveled) | ich bin gefahren(I have driven) du bist gefahren (you have driven) er ist gefahren (he has driven) wir sind gefahren (we have driven) ihr seid gefahren (you have driven) sie / Sie sind gefahren (they /You have driven) |
Of course, the question is:
How do you know when to use haben and when to use sein?
Generally, use “haben” with transitive verbs, which are verbs that take a direct object.
For example:
Er hat einen Roman gelesen. – He read a novel. ( a novel is the direct object.)
And use sein with verbs of motion, that is, verbs whose action requires movement from one place to another.
For example:
Er ist nach Deutschland gefahren. – He drove to Germany. ( Shows movement from an original location to Germany.)
It is possible to test for verbs of motion by giving a command with the verb. If the action can be carried out without moving the feet from one place to another, the verb is probably transitive and will use haben as its auxiliary.
For example:
Read a book.
Keep the money.
But if the feet have to move to carry out the action of the verb, the verb is probably a verb of motion and will use sein as its auxiliary.
For example:
Go home.
Fly to Munich.
Sein is also used with verbs that show a change of physical state or a state over which a person has no direct control.
For example:
Go home.
Fly to Munich.
Er ist in Amerika gestorben. – He died in America. ( Dying is a change of physical state and os one over which a person has no control.)
It is also possible to test for this usage of sein by giving a command with the verb. If there is no tangible action of the verb and it describes a state or condition, the verb will probably use sein as its auxiliary.
For example:
Be nice.
Become a pilot.
Don’t die.
You have already encountered many verbs in the present and past tenses that use sein as the auxiliary in the present perfect tense. Let’s look at some conjugations in the third person singular.
Regular Verbs
folgen/er ist gefolgt (he has followed)
marschieren / er ist marschiert (he has marched)
reisen / er ist gereist (he has traveled)
spazieren / er ist spaziert (he has strolled)
Irregular Verbs
ankommen/ er ist angekommen (he has arrived)
bleiben/ er ist geblieben (he has stayed)
einsteigen/ er ist eingestiegen (he has gotten on (transportation)
fahren/ er ist gefahren (he has driven)
fallen / er ist gefallen (he has fallen)
fliegen / er ist geflogen (he has flown)
gehen / er ist gegangen (he has gone)
kommen / er ist gekommen (he has come)
laufen / er ist gelaufen (he has run)
mitgehen / er ist mitgegangen (he has gone along)
rennen / er ist gerannt (he has run)
sterben / er ist gestorben (he has died)
umsteigen / er ist umstiegen (he has transferred)
NOTE: Remember that the German present perfect tense tends to be translated into English in the simple past tense.
For example:
Wir sind letzten Montag nach Paris gefahren. – We travelled to Paris last Monday.
Wie lange bist du in München geblieben? – How long did you stay in Munich?
Ich bin im Urlaub nach Amerika geflogen. – I flew to America on holiday.
Which verbs form the perfect tense with sein?
The basic rule that applies is that the perfect with sein is built with verbs that indicate movement or change of state.
For example, movement is indicated by verbs such as: gehen (to go), fahren (to travel, drive), reisen (to travel), fliegen (to fly), ankommen (arrive), aussteigen (exit), einsteigen (enter)…
The change of state is expressed by the verbs: wachsen (to grow), werden (to become), einschlafen (to fall asleep), aufstehen (to get up) …. .
The following verbs form the perfect with sein:
- Intransitive verbs of movement:
Er ist spät nach Hause gekommen. – He came home late.
Wir sind Samstagabend ins Konzert gegangen. – We went to the concert on Saturday night.
Ich bin in Hanburg angekommen. – I arrived in Hanburg. - Verbs that describe a change of state:
Ich bin gestern sehr spät eingeschlafen und gerade erst aufgestanden. – I fell asleep very late last night and only just got up. - Verbs sein, bleiben, werden:
Wir sind im Kino gewesen. – We went to the cinema.
Er ist zu Hause gebleiben. – He stayed at home.
Sein Traum ist Wirklichkeit geworden. – His dream has become reality. - Verbs of events; passieren, geschehen:
Was ist passiert? – What has happened?
Ein Wunder ist geschehen! – A miracle has happened!
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Grammar Contents
Regional Variants
The use of the auxiliary verb in the perfect tense sometimes depends on the area. In some speaking areas sein is used and in others haben, and both are considered correct.
For example:
liegen: Ich bin gelegen. / Ich habe gelegen.
stehen: Ich bin gestanden. / Ich habe gestanden.
sitzen: Ich bin gesessen. / Ich habe gesessen.
schwimmen: Ich bin geschwommen. / Ich habe geschwommen.
Perfekt tense with haben
If you want to know which verbs form the perfect with haben, click on the lesson: Present Perfect Tense with Haben
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