8.2: The Verb Werden

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 79392

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

This verb is one of the most important verbs in the German language to master because it has a range of quite different uses and meanings. Three are covered in this unit, another (passive voice) in the next unit, and another in Unit 15 (subjunctive). So it is important for you to practice distinguishing the different usages.

When used by itself as a simple, “full” verb, werden means “to become,” “to turn into,” or in colloquial English, “to get,” as in:

Wir werden nicht älter, wir werden nur besser.
We don’t get older, we just get better.

It has an irregular conjugation:

Present tense:

PERSON	SINGULAR		PLURAL
1ST	ich	werde	wir	werden
2ND	du	wirst	ihr	werdet
3RD	er/sie/es	wird	sie/Sie	werden

Simple past tense:

PERSON	SINGULAR		PLURAL
1ST	ich	wurde	wir	wurden
2ND	du	wurdest	ihr	wurdet
3RD	er/sie/es	wurde	sie/Sie	wurden

Perfect Tenses

Werden uses the auxiliary verb sein and the past participle geworden. Examples using the third person singular and plural are:

Present perfect:

Er ist alt geworden.
He has become old. / He became old.

Sie sind alt geworden.
They have become old. / They became old.

Past perfect:

Diese Maschine war zu alt geworden.
This machine had become too old.

Diese Maschinen waren zu alt geworden.
These machines had become too old.