The Most Three Common Auxiliary Verbs in German

These three auxiliary verbs are used in verbal compounds in order to more clearly define an occurrence as it relates to time or movement. In German there are three: sein (to be), haben (to have), and werden (to become).

Contents

  1. Sein
    1. Usage
    2. Sein Verbs
      1. Movement
      2. Change of State
      3. Other
    3. Examples
  2. Haben
    1. Usage
    2. Examples
  3. Werden
    1. Usage
    2. Examples
  4. What to Read Next

Sein

Usage

To form verbal compounds in present perfect and past perfect.

Certain verbs, mostly having to deal with change of location (movement) or change of state (physical or mental), will require the verb “sein” instead of the usual “haben” to communicate past actions. The conjugated “sein” is paired with the past participle of the verb in order to form the verbal compound. While the list of all verbs requiring “sein” in this form is quite extensive, I will provide some of the most common in the table below.

Sein Verbs

Movement

VerbPast ParticipleEnglish
abbiegenabgebogento turn
fahrengefahrento drive/ride
fallengefallento fall
fliegengeflogento fly
fliehengeflohento flee
flüchtengeflüchtetto flee
folgengefolgtto follow
gehengegangento walk
joggengejoggtto jog (pace)
kletterngeklettertto scale
kommengekommento come
landengelandetto land
laufengelaufento walk/run
reisengereistto travel
reitengerittento ride
rennengeranntto run/sprint
schwimmengeschwommento swim
segelngesegeltto sail
sinkengesunkento sink
springengesprungento jump
steigengestiegento climb
stolperngestolpertto trip
stürzengestürztto fall
tauchengetauchtto dive
tretengetretento step
wanderngewandertto hike
zurückkehrenzurückgekehrtto return
ziehengezogento move (homes)

Change of State

DeutschPast ParticipleEnglish
aufstehenaufgestandento wake up
aufwachenaufgewachtto wake up
einschlafeneingeschlafento fall asleep
explodierenexplodiertto explode
gefrierengefrorento freeze
platzengeplatztto pop
schlüpfengeschlüpftto hatch
schwellengeschwollento swell
stehenbleibenstehengebliebento halt
sterbengestorbento die
tauengetautto thaw
umfallenumgefallento fall over
verblühenverblühtto wither/fade
verschwindenverschwundento disappear
wachsengewachsento grow

Other

DeutschPast ParticipleEnglish
auffallenaufgefallento come to attention
ausfallenausgefallento not happen
begegnenbegegnetto encounter
bleibengebliebento stay
durchfallendurchgefallento fail (a test)
eintreffeneingetroffento arrive
entstehenentstandento arise
erstickenersticktto choke
ertrinkenertrunkento drown
gelingengelungento succeed
geschehengeschehento occur
misslingenmisslungento fail
passierenpassiertto happen
seingewesento be
vorkommenvorgekommento occur
werdengewordento become

Examples

  1. Ich bin den ganzen Tag zu Hause geblieben. (I stayed at home all day.)
  2. Ich bin so schnell gelaufen, wie ich konnte, um den Bus zu erreichen. (I ran as fast as I could to make the bus.)
  3. Wie ist das passiert? (How did that happen?)
  4. Ich habe gehört, dass er seit Beginn seiner politischen Karriere noch gemeiner geworden ist. (I heard that he has gotten meaner since he started his political career.)
  5. Meine Schwester ist bei der Fahrprüfung durchgefallen. (My sister failed the driving test.)

Haben

Usage

To form verbal compounds in present perfect and past perfect.

Like “sein” above, certain (in the case of “haben”, most) verbal compounds are formed with the combination of a past participle of a verb and a conjugated “haben”. Because the majority of past verbal compounds are formed with “haben”, I will not provide a list below like I did with “sein”, but I will provide some examples. 

Examples

  1. Hast du schon gefrühstückt? (Did you already eat breakfast?)
  2. Mein Vater hat mich ins Kino mitgenommen. (My father took me to the movies.)
  3. Wir haben gestern Abend Fußball gespielt. (We played football last night.)
  4. Die Schüler haben heute gelernt, Verben zu konjugieren. (The students learned how to conjugate verbs today.)
  5. Hat dein Sohn schon Weißwein probiert? (Has your son already tried white wine?)

Werden

Usage

  1. To indicate that something will happen
  2. To indicate that an action will be taken
  3. Expressing an outcome after the main timeline (like the English “would”)
  4. To describe something being done (passive voice)

Examples

(1). Taylors Tourbus wird um 16 Uhr ankommen. (Taylor’s tour bus will be arriving at 4:00pm.)

  • The difference between using “wird ankommen” and simply “kommt an” (as detailed in Usage) is that the former emphasizes the process of arriving, whereas the latter states simply a fact 

(2). Taylor wird um 17 Uhr die Umkleidekabine betreten. (Taylor will be entering the dressing room at 17:00.)

  • This is similar to the above, emphasizing Taylor’s physical presence entering the dressing room

(3). Taylor würde feststellen, dass sie ihren Lieblingshut im Tourbus vergessen hatte. (Taylor would realize she forgot her favorite hat in the tour bus.)

  • Here is an example of an outcome coming after the main timeline. The main timeline is assumed to be prior to the moment where Taylor realizes that she forgets her hat. That could mean that the main timeline is when Taylor is still in the bus, or after she already gets out; what is important is, the main timeline is not the moment where Taylor recognizes her mistake

(4). Love Story wird vor Tausenden schreienden Fans gesungen. (Love Story is being sung in front of thousands of screaming fans.)

  • This is a passive manner to describe what actively could be described as “Taylor singt Love Story vor Tausenden schreienden Fans.” (Taylor is singing Love Story in front of thousands of screaming fans.)

What to Read Next

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