Verben sein und haben
sein/haben — for English Speakers
Introduction
Just like English relies on 'to be' and 'to have' as building blocks, German uses sein and haben constantly — for descriptions, ages, feelings, and later as helpers for past tenses. Both are irregular in German, just as they are in English, but the forms look quite different. Knowing these two verbs unlocks most basic German sentences.
German vs English
In German
Ich bin müde / Du bist nett / Er ist groß
In English
I am tired / You are nice / He is tall
Key Difference
Both languages conjugate 'to be' irregularly, but German has more distinct forms (bin, bist, ist, sind, seid).
In German
Ich habe Hunger (I have hunger)
In English
English says 'I am hungry' (with 'to be')
Key Difference
German uses haben for hunger, thirst, and fear where English uses 'to be'.
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
Ich bin 25 Jahre alt. → correct, but: Ich bin hungrig.
English says 'I am hungry' with 'to be', so learners pick sein instead of haben.
Du ist nett.
Mixing up 'ist' (he/she/it) with 'bist' (you) because English uses 'is' more broadly.
Practice Examples
Ich bin Student.
I am a student.
Hast du Zeit?
Do you have time?
Wir sind aus England.
We are from England.
Memory Tip
For feelings like hunger and thirst, remember: German 'has' them, English 'is' them.
View Grammar Rule
Verben sein und haben
sein/haben — A1
Practice Exercises
Verben sein und haben Übungen
7 exercises
Other Languages
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