A2 Verb Tenses 2 min read 보통

Movement to the Past: sein + Partizip II (Perfekt)

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In German, verbs of movement or change of state use 'sein' (to be) instead of 'haben' to form the past tense.

  • Use 'sein' for movement from A to B: 'Ich bin gelaufen' (I ran).
  • Use 'sein' for state changes: 'Er ist eingeschlafen' (He fell asleep).
  • Exceptions 'sein' and 'bleiben' always use 'sein': 'Ich bin geblieben' (I stayed).
Subject + sein (conjugated) + [Details] + Partizip II 🏃‍♂️💨

Overview

While most German verbs form the Perfekt with haben, a special group of verbs uses sein instead. Understanding when to use sein is one of the most important grammar skills for speaking German correctly. The pattern is: Subject + sein (conjugated) + ... + Partizip II.
The key rule: Verbs that express a CHANGE OF LOCATION (movement from A to B) or a CHANGE OF STATE use sein. The most common ones are: gehen (gegangen), kommen (gekommen), fahren (gefahren), fliegen (geflogen), laufen (gelaufen), reisen (gereist), schwimmen (geschwommen), fallen (gefallen), steigen (gestiegen). For example:
Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren
(I drove to Berlin),
Sie ist ins Kino gegangen
(She went to the cinema).
Change-of-state verbs describe something transforming: werden (geworden — to become), sterben (gestorben — to die), wachsen (gewachsen — to grow), einschlafen (eingeschlafen — to fall asleep), aufwachen (aufgewacht — to wake up), geboren sein (to be born). Example:
Das Baby ist schnell gewachsen
(The baby grew quickly).
Two very common verbs use sein even though they do not involve obvious movement: sein itself (Ich bin dort gewesen — I was there) and bleiben (Ich bin zu Hause geblieben — I stayed at home). These are exceptions you simply need to memorize.
The conjugation of sein in present tense: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind. A helpful trick: if you can ask Wohin? (where to?) with the verb, it probably takes sein.
Wohin bist du gegangen?
works — so gehen uses sein.
Wohin hast du gegessen?
does not work — so essen uses haben.
Practice: Er ist um 7 Uhr aufgestanden (He got up at 7). Wir sind nach Hause gelaufen (We walked home). Die Blumen sind gewachsen (The flowers grew). Bist du schon angekommen? (Have you already arrived?).

Conjugation of the Auxiliary Verb 'sein'

Person Sein (Present) Example Partizip II Full Meaning
ich
bin
gekommen
I have come
du
bist
gegangen
You have gone
er/sie/es
ist
gefahren
He/she/it has driven
wir
sind
geflogen
We have flown
ihr
seid
gesprungen
You (pl) have jumped
sie/Sie
sind
gelaufen
They/You (formal) have run

Meanings

The Perfekt tense describes completed actions in the past. While most verbs use 'haben', verbs indicating a change of location or a change of state require 'sein' as the auxiliary verb.

1

Change of Location

Movement from one point to another.

“Wir sind nach Italien geflogen.”

“Sie ist in {die|f} Stadt gefahren.”

2

Change of State

A transformation from one condition to another (e.g., waking up, dying).

“{die|f} Blume ist gewachsen.”

“Das Kind ist schnell aufgewacht.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Movement to the Past: sein + Partizip II (Perfekt)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subj + sein + ... + Partizip II
Ich bin gerannt.
Negative
Subj + sein + nicht + ... + Partizip II
Ich bin nicht gerannt.
Question
Sein + Subj + ... + Partizip II?
Bist du gerannt?
With Modal
Subj + sein + ... + Partizip II + Modal (rare)
Ich muss gerannt sein.
Inverted
Time + sein + Subj + ... + Partizip II
Gestern ist er gerannt.
W-Question
W-Word + sein + Subj + ... + Partizip II?
Warum bist du gerannt?

격식 수준 스펙트럼

격식체
Ich bin zu der {die|f} Festlichkeit gegangen.

Ich bin zu der {die|f} Festlichkeit gegangen. (Socializing)

중립
Ich bin zur {die|f} Party gegangen.

Ich bin zur {die|f} Party gegangen. (Socializing)

비격식체
Ich bin zur Party gegangen.

Ich bin zur Party gegangen. (Socializing)

속어
Bin Party gewesen.

Bin Party gewesen. (Socializing)

The 'Sein' Perfekt Universe

Perfekt mit sein

Movement A to B

  • gehen to go
  • fahren to drive
  • fliegen to fly

Change of State

  • aufwachen to wake up
  • sterben to die
  • werden to become

Haben vs. Sein

Haben (Static/Object)
essen to eat
lesen to read
Sein (Dynamic/Change)
rennen to run
wachsen to grow

Should I use 'sein'?

1

Is it 'sein', 'bleiben', or 'werden'?

YES
Use SEIN
NO
Next question
2

Is there movement from A to B?

YES
Use SEIN
NO
Next question
3

Is it a change of state?

YES
Use SEIN
NO
Use HABEN

Common 'Sein' Verbs

✈️

Travel

  • • reisen
  • • fliegen
  • • wandern
🏠

Daily Life

  • • aufstehen
  • • einschlafen
  • • umziehen
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수준별 예문

1

Ich bin nach Hause gegangen.

I went home.

2

Bist du gekommen?

Did you come?

1

Wir sind nach Berlin geflogen.

We flew to Berlin.

2

Das Kind ist schnell gewachsen.

The child grew quickly.

1

Der {der|m} Plan ist leider gescheitert.

The plan unfortunately failed.

2

Seid ihr gestern spät eingeschlafen?

Did you guys fall asleep late yesterday?

1

Die {die|f} Situation ist völlig eskaliert.

The situation escalated completely.

2

Trotz des Regens sind wir weitergewandert.

Despite the rain, we hiked further.

1

Die {die|f} Erinnerung ist allmählich verblasst.

The memory gradually faded.

2

Er ist in {den|m} Ruhestand getreten.

He entered retirement.

1

Das {das|n} Projekt ist in {das|n} Stocken geraten.

The project has come to a standstill.

2

Die {die|f} Gefahr ist nunmehr gebannt.

The danger has now been averted.

혼동하기 쉬운

Movement to the Past: sein + Partizip II (Perfekt) 대 Haben vs. Sein with 'fahren'

Learners use 'sein' even when there is a direct object.

Movement to the Past: sein + Partizip II (Perfekt) 대 Movement without destination

Verbs like 'tanzen' or 'joggen' can be tricky.

Movement to the Past: sein + Partizip II (Perfekt) 대 The verb 'bleiben'

It means 'to stay', which is the opposite of movement.

자주 하는 실수

✗

Ich habe nach Hause gegangen.

✓

Ich bin nach Hause gegangen.

Movement verbs require 'sein', not 'haben'.
✗

Ich bin gegessen.

✓

Ich habe gegessen.

Eating is an activity, not movement from A to B.
✗

Er hat gekommen.

✓

Er ist gekommen.

'Kommen' is a change of location.
✗

Wir haben in Berlin geblieben.

✓

Wir sind in Berlin geblieben.

'Bleiben' (to stay) is a major exception that always uses 'sein'.
✗

Ich habe aufgewacht.

✓

Ich bin aufgewacht.

Waking up is a change of state (sleep to awake).
✗

Bist du das Buch gelesen?

✓

Hast du das Buch gelesen?

Reading takes an object and isn't movement.
✗

Ich bin eine Stunde gejoggt.

✓

Ich habe eine Stunde gejoggt.

If no destination is mentioned, some movement verbs can use 'haben' (focus on duration).
✗

Das Auto hat gestoppt.

✓

Das Auto ist gestoppt.

Stopping is a change of state/motion.
✗

Ich habe in {die|f} Stadt gefahren.

✓

Ich bin in {die|f} Stadt gefahren.

Confusion between driving (movement) and driving something (transitive).
✗

Er hat in {den|m} Verein eingetreten.

✓

Er ist in {den|m} Verein eingetreten.

Joining/entering is a metaphorical change of state/location.
✗

Die {die|f} Kerze hat erloschen.

✓

Die {die|f} Kerze ist erloschen.

Extinguishing (intransitive) is a change of state.
✗

Ich habe geschwommen (to a goal).

✓

Ich bin geschwommen (to a goal).

Nuance of destination vs. activity.

문장 패턴

Ich bin gestern nach ___ ___.

Bist du heute schon ___?

Wir sind ___ mit dem ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Texting friends constant

Bin gerade angekommen!

Travel / Airport very common

Der {der|m} Flug ist pünktlich gelandet.

Job Interview common

Ich bin in meiner {die|f} Karriere viel gereist.

Doctor's Visit occasional

Wann sind {die|f} Schmerzen zum ersten Mal aufgetreten?

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💡

The Destination Test

If you can ask 'Where to?' (Wohin?), the verb likely takes 'sein'.
⚠️

The 'Stay' Trap

Don't forget 'bleiben'. It feels static, but it's a 'sein' verb!
🎯

Southern Shortcut

If you're in Munich, expect to hear 'sein' with almost any verb involving a position.

Smart Tips

Ask yourself: 'Am I in a different location than when I started?' If yes, use 'sein'.

Ich habe in den Park gelaufen. (Sounds like you ran inside the park but didn't go anywhere specific) → Ich bin in den Park gelaufen. (Correct: You arrived at the park)

Remember these two 'static' verbs are rebels—they always take 'sein'.

Ich habe dort gewesen. → Ich bin dort gewesen.

These often indicate a change of state (aufwachen, einschlafen), signaling a 'sein' verb.

Ich habe eingeschlafen. → Ich bin eingeschlafen.

발음

ich bin geGANGen

Auxiliary Stress

The auxiliary verb 'sein' is usually unstressed; the stress falls on the Partizip II at the end.

ist-aufgewacht

Linking

In 'ist aufgewacht', the 't' of 'ist' often links to the 'au' of 'aufgewacht'.

Falling Pitch

Ich bin geGANgen. ↘

Standard statement in the past.

암기하기

기억법

If you move your feet or change your seat, use 'sein' to make the past complete.

시각적 연상

Imagine a runner crossing a finish line (Movement) and a flower blooming (Change of State). Both of these 'action movies' require the verb 'sein'.

Rhyme

Movement, state, and 'stay' / Use 'sein' to save the day.

Story

A traveler 'is' (ist) gone to Paris, 'is' (ist) stayed in a hotel, and 'is' (ist) become very happy. Even though English says 'has', our traveler 'is' always moving with 'sein'.

Word Web

gehenfahrenkommenbleibenseinwerdenaufwachen

챌린지

Write three things you did this morning using 'sein' (e.g., I woke up, I went to the kitchen, I came to work).

문화 노트

In the South, verbs of position like 'stehen' (to stand), 'sitzen' (to sit), and 'liegen' (to lie) often use 'sein' in the Perfekt (e.g., 'Ich bin gestanden'), whereas the North uses 'haben'.

Perfekt is the dominant past tense in spoken German. Using the Präteritum (Ich ging) in casual conversation can sound overly literary or stiff.

The split between 'have' and 'be' auxiliaries exists in many Indo-European languages (like French and Italian).

대화 시작하기

“

Wohin bist du letzten Sommer gereist?

“

Wann bist du heute Morgen aufgewacht?

“

Bist du schon einmal umgezogen?

일기 주제

Write about your last vacation. Where did you go and how did you get there?
Describe your morning routine today from the moment you woke up.
Tell a story about a time something unexpected happened while you were traveling.

자주 하는 실수

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

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Test Yourself

Choose the correct auxiliary verb. 객관식

Ich ___ nach Hause gelaufen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bin
'Laufen' is a movement from A to B.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'sein'.

Wir ___ gestern spät angekommen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sind
'Wir' requires the 'sind' form.
Find the mistake in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Er hat in Berlin geblieben.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: hat
'Bleiben' always takes 'sein'. It should be 'Er ist geblieben'.
Put the words in the correct order. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Das Kind ist schnell aufgewacht.
Subject + auxiliary + adverb + participle.
Translate to German. 번역

Have you (informal) flown?

Answer starts with: Bis...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bist du geflogen?
Informal singular 'you' is 'du', which takes 'bist'.

Score: /5

연습 문제

5 exercises
Choose the correct auxiliary verb. 객관식

Ich ___ nach Hause gelaufen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bin
'Laufen' is a movement from A to B.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'sein'.

Wir ___ gestern spät angekommen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sind
'Wir' requires the 'sind' form.
Find the mistake in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Er hat in Berlin geblieben.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: hat
'Bleiben' always takes 'sein'. It should be 'Er ist geblieben'.
Put the words in the correct order. Sentence Reorder

ist / das Kind / aufgewacht / schnell

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Das Kind ist schnell aufgewacht.
Subject + auxiliary + adverb + participle.
Translate to German. 번역

Have you (informal) flown?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bist du geflogen?
Informal singular 'you' is 'du', which takes 'bist'.

Score: /5

자주 묻는 질문 (7)

Grammatically, 'bleiben' is categorized with verbs of state/existence. It's best to learn it as a mandatory exception to the movement rule.

Yes, if you are just swimming laps for exercise without a destination (`Ich habe eine Stunde geschwommen`). If you swim to an island, use 'sein' (`Ich bin zur Insel geschwommen`).

No, this rule specifically applies to the Perfekt (and Plusquamperfekt). In Präteritum, you just conjugate the main verb (e.g., 'Ich ging').

Events that 'occur' or 'happen' are considered changes of state, so they use 'sein' (e.g., 'Was ist passiert?').

No, only those indicating movement or state change. Most 'ge-' verbs (like 'gekauft', 'gesehen') use 'haben'.

It is 'Ich bin gewesen'. The verb 'sein' itself uses 'sein' as its auxiliary!

Yes, as long as you are moving from A to B, it doesn't matter if you are driving or just sitting in the bus.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish low

Pretérito Perfecto (haber + participio)

Spanish never uses 'to be' as a past tense helper.

French high

Passé Composé (être + participe passé)

The list of 'être' verbs in French is very similar to the 'sein' list in German.

Japanese none

Te-form + iru/aru

Japanese grammar is based on agglutination rather than auxiliary verbs.

Arabic none

Qad + Past Tense

Arabic verbs change form internally to show tense.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
독일어 명사 복수형: 끝에 -e 붙이기 (Hunde, Tage, Brote)

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