Present Tense: haben, sein and werden
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Learn the present-tense forms of haben, sein and werden and use them in simple statements and questions.
Explanation
Special verbs: haben, sein and werden
These three very common verbs have special forms. You need them at A1 level.
- haben expresses possession or belonging: Ich habe einen Bruder. — I have a brother.
- sein describes a state or identity: Nora ist müde. Er ist Student. — Nora is tired. He is a student.
- werden describes a change: Es wird dunkel. Lea wird Ärztin. — It is getting dark. Lea is becoming a doctor.
Present-tense forms
| Person | haben | sein | werden |
|---|
| ich | habe | bin | werde |
| du | hast | bist | wirst |
| er / sie / es | hat | ist | wird |
| wir | haben | sind | werden |
| ihr | habt | seid | werdet |
| sie / Sie | haben | sind | werden |
Learn all the conjugated forms. Pay special attention to the very irregular forms of sein and to wirst/wird with werden.
Sentence position
In a statement, the conjugated verb is normally in position 2:
- Meine Schwester hat heute Zeit.
- Tom ist im Büro.
- Das Kind wird langsam müde.
In a W-question, the verb is also in position 2:
- Wo ist dein Schlüssel?
- Wann wird das Essen fertig?
In a yes/no question, the verb is in position 1:
- Hast du Hunger?
- Seid ihr zu Hause?
- Wird es morgen warm?
Tip: first choose the meaning (haben, sein or werden), then form the verb for the subject.
Exercises
- Complete the forms of haben, sein and werden for each person. (7)
- Choose the correct verb in the correct present-tense form. (11)
- Put the words in order. Pay attention to the position of the conjugated verb. (11)
- Complete haben, sein and werden in the correct form. Read both lines of each dialogue. (11)
- Final review: Read the complete text and put the verbs into the correct present-tense form. This exercise also reviews forms from the previous present-tense topics. (4)
- Final review: Read the letters and emails. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct present-tense form. (4)
- Complete the key present-tense forms of haben, sein, and werden. (1)
A1 · German · Grammar