Deutsch · A1 · verb · 4 minutes
Sein: present tense
Master the six essential forms for identity, description, and location.
Understand the choice
Sein links a subject to an identity, description, or location. Because no single stem predicts its forms, learn them as subject-form pairs and reuse them in short contrasts.
Core rule: Sein is fully irregular: bin, bist, ist, sind, seid, sind.
Notice it in context
Ich bin müde, aber meine Freunde sind noch wach.
I am tired, but my friends are still awake.
Bin agrees with ich; sind agrees with plural Freunde.
Wo bist du jetzt?
Where are you now?
Bist moves before du in the direct question.
Wir sind im Park, und ihr seid zu Hause.
We are in the park, and you are at home.
Sind belongs to wir; seid is unique to ihr.
What to remember
- Formal Sie always takes sind and is capitalized.
- After sein, predicate adjectives do not take endings.
Common trap: Do not use ist for every subject. Say ich bin and wir sind.