Deutsch · A2 · verb · 4 minutes
Sein in the perfect
Use sein as its own lexical participle with haben as the auxiliary.
Understand the choice
Unlike French être, German sein forms its perfect with sein. The auxiliary changes with the subject; gewesen remains the same and normally closes the clause.
Core rule: The perfect of sein is present sein as auxiliary? No: it uses sein + gewesen: bin/bist/ist/sind/seid/sind gewesen.
Notice it in context
Ich bin schon oft in Hamburg gewesen.
I have been to Hamburg many times.
Bin agrees with ich; gewesen is final; schon oft frames repeated experience.
Wo bist du gestern gewesen?
Where were you yesterday?
Bist begins the question and gewesen closes it.
Wir sind den ganzen Tag zu Hause gewesen.
We were at home all day.
Sind agrees with wir; gewesen follows the time and place information.
What to remember
- In ordinary narrative, war is often more natural than bin gewesen for simple past be.
- Gewesen is the past participle of sein and never adds a gender ending.
Common trap: Do not build ich habe gewesen. Sein uses sein: ich bin gewesen.