How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive sein is highly irregular and changes significantly in the present tense conjugation. In the present tense, the forms include bin (am), bist (are), ist (is), sind (are) and seid (are). Specifically, ist is used for the third-person singular such as he, she, it or any singular noun, while sind is used for both the first-person plural (we are) and the third-person plural (they are). The form seid is specifically the second-person plural (you all are) used in informal contexts. To express the past, you can use forms such as war, warst, war, waren and wart to mean was or were. Finally, the past participle gewesen is used to form the perfect tense, such as in Ich bin gewesen (I have been).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of sein is /zaɪ̯n/.
Did you know?
- The German word for 'his own' or 'her own' is also sein, making it a homonym that looks identical to the verb 'to be'.
- The German word sein is a linguistic chameleon that combines three completely different ancestral verb roots into a single conjugation.
- The word sein actually shares its history with the English word 'own', as it stems from an ancient reflexive possessive form.
Examples in context
- Es muss da sein.It has to be there.This sentence is useful for showing the use of sein to express necessity and presence.Tatoeba #6626094 by Felixjp, translation #3178596 by CK
- Wo wirst du sein?Where are you going to be?This sentence is useful for using sein in a future context.Tatoeba #541140 by kroko, translation #2892768 by CK
- Wird Tom da sein?Is Tom going to be there?This sentence is useful for using sein in a question about the future.Tatoeba #3831941 by futuro, translation #3831747 by CK
- Ich bin ein Lehrer.I am a teacher.
- Die Blumen sind schön.The flowers are beautiful.
- Die Bibliothek befindet sich neben dem Rathaus.The library is located next to the town hall.
- Das Hotel befindet sich im Zentrum.The hotel is situated in the center.
- Die Party ist toll.The party is great.
- Er ist schlauer als ich.He is smarter than me.
- Ich bin müde.I am tired.
- Der Film ist interessant.The movie is interesting.
- Der Tisch ist groß.The table is big.
- Die Blume ist schön.The flower is beautiful.
- 2613 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are talking about a party.
- JulianWirst du heute Abend auch da sein?Will you also be there tonight?
- JuliaJa, ich möchte gerne da sein.Yes, I would like to be there.
- JulianDas ist schön zu hören.That is nice to hear.
- JuliaEs wird bestimmt ein guter Abend.It will certainly be a good evening.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sein, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
