The Verb Sein (Be)
In this lesson of the Learn German course, you'll learn the very common German verb sein which means be.
You'll also learn the German subject pronouns, as well as some some more useful German phrases used in everyday conversations.
Online flashcards and a quiz are included in this lesson to help you learn the German verb sein and the phrases included in this lesson.
German Conversations
| Stefan: | Möchtest du einen Kaffee? | Would you like a coffee? |
|---|---|---|
| Hannah: | Ja, bitte. | Yes, please. |
| Stefan: | Hier ist dein Kaffee. | Here is your coffee. |
| Hannah: | Vielen Dank. | Thank you very much. |
| Stefan: | Keine Ursache. | You're welcome. |
Vowel Combinations
| au | Pronounced like the ou in house. |
| ei | Pronounced like the i in find. |
| eu | Pronounced like the oy in toy. |
| ie | Pronounced like the ee in deep. |
The Verb Sein
The verb sein means to be, and is very irregular. The conjugation of the present tense of sein is shown in the following table.
| sein | to be |
|---|---|
| ich bin | I am |
| du bist | you are (one person familiar) |
| er ist | he is |
| sie ist | she is |
| es ist | it is |
| wir sind | we are |
| ihr seid | you are (more than one person familiar) |
| Sie sind | you are (polite) |
| sie sind | they are |
Notice that there are three different subject pronouns for you.
Du is the familiar singular form of you in German. It is used when adressing one friend, close family member, or child.
Ihr is the familiar plural form of you. It is used when talking to more than one friend, close family member, or children.
Sie is the polite version of you and is used to address any number of people. If unsure, this is the version that you should use. Notice that this is the same as the pronoun for both she and they. Sie is always capitalized when it means you.
German Phrases
Here are some more useful German phrases.
Ja.
|
Yes. |
|
Nein.
|
No. |
|
Bitte.
|
Please. |
|
Danke.
|
Thanks. |
|
Wie geht's?
|
How are you? |
|
Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal)
|
How are you? |
|
Mir geht es gut, danke.
|
(I'm) good, thanks. |
|
Entschuldigung.
|
Excuse me. |
|
Ich verstehe.
|
I understand. |
|
Ich verstehe nicht.
|
I don't understand. |
Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the German verb sein, as well as the phrases included in this and the previous lesson.
Quiz
In this online quiz you'll practice the different forms of the present tense of the verb sein as well as the phrases included in this and the previous lesson.