German Verbs ‘Haben’ (to Have) and ‘Sein’ (to Be)
The two most important German verbs are haben (to have) and sein (to be). As in most languages, the verb “to be” is one of the oldest verbs in German, and therefore one of the most irregular. The verb “to have” is only slightly less irregular, but no less vital to surviving speaking German.
To be & to have
As in English, the two verbs ‘to be‘ (sein) and ‘to have‘ (haben) are quite important in German.
Both verbs are also irregular, and don’t follow any of the conjugation rules discussed in the previous lessons.
1. To be (sein):
The verb ‘sein‘ is completely irregular in all of its forms; and thus needs to be learned by heart.
| Pronoun | sein |
|---|---|
| ich | bin |
| du | bist |
| er / sie / es | ist |
| wir | sind |
| ihr | seid |
| sie | sind |
| Sie | sind |
2. To have (haben):
The verb ‘haben‘ is only irregular in its ‘du’ and ‘er/sie/es’ forms; as the letter ‘b‘ is removed from its stem.
| Pronoun | haben |
|---|---|
| ich | habe |
| du | hast |
| er / sie / es | hat |
| wir | haben |
| ihr | habt |
| sie | haben |
| Sie | haben |
Just like in the English language, both verbs are used to form tenses; and thus are very widely used within the German language.
To end this lesson, here are a few examples of both verbs in use:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ich bin aus Ägypten | I’m from Egypt |
| du bist sehr Hübsch | You’re very pretty |
| er hat eine Katze | He has a cat |
| wir haben keine Zeit | We have no time |
| ihr seid niemals allein | You are never alone |
| sie haben eine neue Wohnung | They have a new apartment |
| Sie sind Willkommen | You’re welcome |