German Verb Conjugations
SEIN: Conjugated in All Tenses
The German verb sein conjugated in all its tenses and moods
COMMANDS/SUBJUNCTIVE • BEFEHLSFORM/KONJUNKTIV
SEIN: Present | Past | Future | Commands/Subjunctive | All Verbs
Commands - Imperativ
| DEUTSCH | ENGLISH |
| There are three command (imperative) forms, one for each German "you" word. In addition, the "let's" form is used with wir (we). | |
| (du) sei | be |
| (ihr) seid | be |
| seien Sie! | be |
| seien wir | let's be |
| EXAMPLES: Sei brav! Be good!/Behave yourself! Seien Sie still! Be quiet!/No talking! |
|
Subjunctive I - Konjunktiv I
| DEUTSCH | ENGLISH |
| The subjunctive is a mood, not a tense. The Subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I) is based on the infinitive form of the verb. It is most often used to express indirect quotation (indirekte Rede). NOTE: This verb form is most often found in newspaper reports or magazine articles. | |
| SINGULAR | |
| ich sei | I am (said to be) |
| du sei(e)st | you are (said to be) |
| er sei sie sei es sei |
he is (said to be) she is (said to be) it is (said to be) |
| PLURAL | |
| wir seien | we are (said to be) |
| ihr seiet | you (guys) are (said to be) |
| sie seien | they are (said to be) |
| Sie seien | you are (said to be) |
Subjunctive II - Konjunktiv II
| DEUTSCH | ENGLISH |
| The Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) expresses wishful thinking, contrary-to-reality situations and is used to express politeness. The Subjunctive II is based on the simple past tense (Imperfekt). This "sein" form resembles English examples, such as "If I were you, I wouldn't do that." | |
| SINGULAR | |
| ich wäre | I would be |
| du wärest | you would be |
| er wäre sie wäre es wäre |
he would be she would be it would be |
| PLURAL | |
| wir wären | we would be |
| ihr wäret | you (guys) would be |
| sie wären | they would be |
| Sie wären | you would be |
| Since the Subjunctive is a mood and not a tense, it can also be used in various tenses. Below are several examples. | |
| ich sei gewesen | I am said to have been |
| ich wäre gewesen | I would have been |
| wäre er hier, würde er... | if he were here, he would... |
| sie wären gewesen | they would have been |
| More verbs on our Verb-Lexikon, 20 Most-Used German Verbs, German Strong Verbs and 50 Common German Verbs pages. | |
SEIN: Present | Past | Future | Commands/Subjunctive | All Verbs
The Subjunctive II
When and how to use it, from your Guide. With self-scoring quiz.
German Strong Verbs
A look at other irregular verbs in the simple past and present perfect tenses.
20 Most-Used German Verbs
A ranked list of the most commonly used verbs.
Lektion 4B
How to conjugate most German verbs in the present tense. Part of German for Beginners.
German for Beginners - Contents
Related Pages
50 Common German Verbs
A chart of the most common German verbs - with examples.
German Strong (Irregular) Verbs
The principal parts and conjugations of German irregular verbs, including "haben" and "sein."
Verb Review 1
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English-German Glossaries
All of the annotated glossaries on this site - from aerospace to travel.
German Grammar
All of the grammar resources on this site.
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