German verb conjugations

Understand the rule, see it in context, then put it into practice.

67 chapters · 64 common verbs
irregular

sein

to be

Sein is both a full verb and an auxiliary. Its Präteritum forms are very common in speech as well as writing.

sein in three common tenses
PersonPresentPräsensSimple pastPräteritumPerfectPerfekt
ichbinwarbin gewesen
dubistwarstbist gewesen
er / sie / esistwarist gewesen
wirsindwarensind gewesen
ihrseidwartseid gewesen
sie / Siesindwarensind gewesen

On a small screen, swipe the table sideways. Tap or focus a German form for its meaning.

Learn these together

sein · ich war · ich bin gewesen

Using the table

The rows cover the six person/number patterns. Formal Sie uses the same verb form as plural sie, with its capital letter retained in a sentence. German Perfekt often translates naturally as an English simple past, so choose the meaning from context.

These are ordinary main-clause forms. A separable prefix stays joined with its verb in a verb-final subordinate clause. Modal verbs with another governed infinitive use the separate double-infinitive pattern rather than mechanically keeping the standalone perfect forms above.

Sources & how to use this book

Original explanations, tips and learning examples by DeutschLearner, with grammar facts checked against the references below. The A1–B2 labels guide study; they do not certify a proficiency level. Reading a chapter does not mark a topic as mastered. Existing exercises provide the translated examples; no source exercise bank or example sentences were copied.