sein & haben
Say who you are, how old you are and how you feel (sein), and what you do and don't have (haben). The two verbs every German sentence leans on.
Examples
- Ich bin müde.I am tired.
- Sie hat Zeit.She has time.
- Wir sind in Berlin.We are in Berlin.
After this pattern you can
- say who you are, where you're from, how old you are
- say how you feel
- say what you have and don't have
- ask someone else the same things
Start with a conversation
Who are you?
I'm Anna. I'm 25 years old.
Are you tired?
Yes, I'm very tired.
Do you have time?
No, I don't have time.
Every line above runs on one of two verbs: sein ("to be") and haben ("to have"). Both are irregular, and later they come back as the helper verbs of the past tense — so it pays to over-learn them.
sein — "to be"
haben — "to have"
Phrases you can use today
I'm … years old.
SAYING "NOT" — a preview of the nicht vs kein pattern:
Asking
German has no "do". The verb just moves to the front:
Typical mistakes
"I am hungry" is "I HAVE hunger" in German.
Age uses sein, like English.
A question moves the verb; a change of tone is not enough.
What you'll practise
1. sein (to be) · forms
ich bin, du bist, er ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie sind — pick the form that matches the subject.
- Du bist mein Freund.You are my friend.
- Ihr seid spät.You (pl.) are late.
2. haben (to have) · forms
ich habe, du hast, er hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie haben — hast and hat drop the -b-.
- Er hat ein Auto.He has a car.
- Ihr habt Zeit.You (pl.) have time.
3. sein / haben · yes-no question
Move the verb to the front: Du bist müde → Bist du müde? German adds no word for "do".
- Bist du krank?Are you ill?
- Habt ihr Hunger?Are you (pl.) hungry?
Practise it until it sticks
Short drills built on these 3 skills, with instant feedback on every answer. Free to start.