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1.5.1.4: Sein

  • Page ID
    104721
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    Verbs: Sein

    Sein can be used either as the main verb of a sentence or as helping verbs. In this section, we will discuss sein as the main verb. Sein appears frequently in German, and just as frequently used verbs in English, it is quite irregular. The only thing to do is to memorize these forms.

    sein • to be
    ich bin wir sind
    du bist ihr seid
    er/sie/es ist sie sind

      Die zwei Brüder Wolf sind zu Hause. The two wolf brothers are at home.
    Wolfgang ist im Wohnzimmer Sein oder Nichtsein – das ist die Frage! To be or not to be – that is the question!
    Bruder Wolfdietrich Du bist solch ein Aufschneider! You are such a show-off!
    Wolfgang Das bin ich nicht! Ich bin einfach gebildet! am not! I am merely well-educated!
    Wolfdietrich Tja, Wölfe heutzutage glauben ... sie sind alle Philosophen. Yeah, wolves nowadays think ... they are all philosophers.

    vi_11_01_sein-oder-nichtsein.gif

    related words
    das Sein existence
    Sein und Schein appearance and reality
    lass das sein! let it be!

    fun phrases
    du bist wer! aha, you're certainly someone (important)
    das wär's that's it/that's all
    ach, ich bin schon auf hundertachtzig argh, I'm really mad!
    du bist mir schon lange ein Dorn im Auge! you've been really getting to me!
    [getting on my nerves]
    du wirst bald hinter Gittern sein! you'll end up behind bars one day, just watch it!
    das ist ein Witz that's ridiculous
    bist du verrückt (nach mir)? are you crazy (about me?)

    In these examples sein is the main verb of the sentence. It can also act as an auxiliary verb to express some forms of the conversational past.


    This page titled 1.5.1.4: Sein is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Zsuzsanna Abrams and co-workers (Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning) .

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