Conjugations › German › sein

sein

to be

German Irregular
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The German verb "sein" means "to be" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "sein" across all 7 tenses.

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Present Simple Past Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Subjunctive I Subjunctive II

How to Conjugate "sein" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I bin
du you (informal) bist
er/sie/es he/she/it ist
wir we sind
ihr you all (informal) seid
sie/Sie they/you (formal) sind
Er ist ein guter Lehrer.
He is a good teacher.

How to Conjugate "sein" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I war
du you (informal) warst
er/sie/es he/she/it war
wir we waren
ihr you all (informal) wart
sie/Sie they/you (formal) waren
Er war ein guter Lehrer.
He was a good teacher.

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How to Conjugate "sein" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I bin gewesen
du you (informal) bist gewesen
er/sie/es he/she/it ist gewesen
wir we sind gewesen
ihr you all (informal) seid gewesen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) sind gewesen
Er ist im Urlaub gewesen.
He has been on vacation.

How to Conjugate "sein" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I war gewesen
du you (informal) warst gewesen
er/sie/es he/she/it war gewesen
wir we waren gewesen
ihr you all (informal) wart gewesen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) waren gewesen
Er war im Park gewesen.
He had been in the park.

How to Conjugate "sein" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde sein
du you (informal) wirst sein
er/sie/es he/she/it wird sein
wir we werden sein
ihr you all (informal) werdet sein
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden sein
Er wird pünktlich bei der Arbeit sein.
He will be at work on time.

How to Conjugate "sein" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I sei
du you (informal) seist
er/sie/es he/she/it sei
wir we seien
ihr you all (informal) seiet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) seien
Sie meint, er sei zu Hause.
She thinks that he is at home.

How to Conjugate "sein" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I wäre
du you (informal) wärst
er/sie/es he/she/it wäre
wir we wären
ihr you all (informal) wärt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) wären
Er wäre gerne ein Pilot.
He would like to be a pilot.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "sein"

Is "sein" regular or irregular in German?
"Sein" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "sein" mean in English?
The German verb "sein" means "to be" in English.
How do you conjugate "sein" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → bin, du → bist, er/sie/es → ist, wir → sind, ihr → seid, sie/Sie → sind.
How many tenses does "sein" have in German?
"Sein" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.

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