sein present tense conjugation
Sein (to be) in the present tense: bin, bist, ist, sind, seid, sind.
Präsens Present
| ich | regular: seie |
|---|---|
| du | regular: seist |
| er/sie/es | regular: seit |
| wir | regular: seien |
| ihr | regular: seit |
| sie/Sie | regular: seien |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the present tense
The Präsens covers “I do” and “I am doing” and is very often used for the future when a time word makes it clear: “Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin.”
How it is formed
Regular endings on the stem: e, st, t, en, t, en. Many strong verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms (fahren → fährst, sehen → siehst).
Sein is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give seie, seist, seit, seien, seit, seien.
Sein in a sentence
- Ich bin müde.I am tired.
- Er war gestern zu Hause.He was at home yesterday.
Highly irregular; uses sein as its own Perfekt auxiliary (ist gewesen).
FAQ
What is the present tense of sein?
Sein in the German present tense: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind.
Is sein irregular in the present tense?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: ich bin (regular would be seie); du bist (regular would be seist); er/sie/es ist (regular would be seit); wir sind (regular would be seien); ihr seid (regular would be seit); sie/Sie sind (regular would be seien).
When do you use the German present tense?
The Präsens covers “I do” and “I am doing” and is very often used for the future when a time word makes it clear: “Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin.”
How is the present tense formed?
Regular endings on the stem: e, st, t, en, t, en. Many strong verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms (fahren → fährst, sehen → siehst).
Full sein conjugation, all tenses →
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