The perfect tense with sein (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
The perfect tense with sein
What is the perfect tense with sein?
The perfect tense in German is usually formed with haben, but certain verbs use sein instead as their auxiliary verb. Understanding when to use sein rather than haben is crucial for forming correct sentences in the perfect tense.
The choice between haben and sein as auxiliary verbs follows specific rules based on the type of action or state the verb describes. Learning these patterns will help you use the perfect tense correctly.
When do verbs use sein?
Verbs that form their perfect tense with sein fall into specific categories. These verbs describe particular types of actions or states:
Movement verbs
These verbs describe movement from one place to another:
| German Verb | English | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| ankommen | to arrive | angekommen |
| fahren | to travel/drive | gefahren |
| fliegen | to fly | geflogen |
| gehen | to go/walk | gegangen |
| kommen | to come | gekommen |
| laufen | to run | gelaufen |
Movement Verb Examples:
- Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren. (I travelled to Berlin.)
- Wir sind spät angekommen. (We arrived late.)
Notice how both sentences show movement from one location to another, which is why they use sein instead of haben.
State and change of state verbs
These verbs describe what something is like or how it changes:
| German Verb | English | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| bleiben | to stay/remain | geblieben |
| sein | to be | gewesen |
| werden | to become | geworden |
State Change Examples:
- Er ist zu Hause geblieben. (He stayed at home.)
- Sie ist Lehrerin geworden. (She became a teacher.)
These examples show either maintaining a state (staying) or changing from one state to another (becoming).
"To happen" verbs
These verbs describe events occurring:
| German Verb | English | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| geschehen | to happen | geschehen |
| passieren | to happen | passiert |
Important formation rules
Irregular past participles
Most verbs that use sein are irregular and have past participles ending in -en. Common examples include gekommen, gelaufen, and geblieben.
Separable verbs
When using separable verbs in the perfect tense, the ge- prefix appears between the separable prefix and the main part of the verb:
Separable Verb Formation:
- ankommen → angekommen
- Ich bin früh angekommen. (I arrived early.)
The ge- appears between an- (separable prefix) and -kommen (main verb).
Direct objects matter
Key Rule: Verbs without direct objects use sein. If the verb has a direct object, its perfect tense uses haben instead.
This is one of the most important rules to remember when choosing between sein and haben.
Direct Object Comparison:
- Mein Bruder hat sein Flugzeug geflogen. (My brother flew his plane.) - uses haben because of direct object sein Flugzeug
- Mein Bruder ist mit dem Flugzeug gereist. (My brother travelled by plane.) - uses sein because no direct object
The presence or absence of a direct object completely changes which auxiliary verb to use.
Word order in the perfect tense
The word order rules for sein follow the same patterns as with haben:
Basic word order
In main clauses, sein goes in second position with the past participle at the end:
- Ich bin letzte Woche nach Berlin geflogen. (I flew to Berlin last week.)
With time expressions
When you include time expressions, sein can move but the past participle stays at the end:
- Letzte Woche bin ich mit dem Zug nach Berlin gefahren. (Last week I went to Berlin by train.)
After subordinating conjunctions
After conjunctions like als, sein moves to the end, directly before the past participle:
- Das Flugzeug war schmutzig, als ich gestern nach Berlin geflogen bin. (The plane was dirty when I flew to Berlin yesterday.)
Inversion in complex sentences
When the als clause comes first, the main clause inverts (verb-comma-verb rule):
Complex Sentence Word Order:
Als ich nach Berlin geflogen bin, bin ich krank geworden. (When I flew to Berlin, I became ill.)
Notice how:
- The subordinate clause has sein at the end: geflogen bin
- The main clause starts with sein after the comma: bin ich krank geworden
Practice exercise
Practice Exercise:
Complete these sentences with the correct part of sein and the past participle:
- Wann _____ er gestern _____ ? (ankommen)
- Der Unfall _____ gestern _____ . (passieren)
- Ich _____ letzten Sommer in die Schweiz _____ . (fahren)
- Die Schüler _____ nach Köln _____ . (fliegen)
- Sein Opa _____ krank _____ . (werden)
- Johanna _____ meine beste Freundin _____ . (bleiben)
Answers: 1. ist, angekommen 2. ist, passiert 3. bin, gefahren 4. sind, geflogen 5. ist, geworden 6. ist, geblieben
Key Points to Remember:
- Sein is used with verbs of movement, state changes, and "happening" - not haben
- Most sein verbs are irregular with past participles ending in -en
- Verbs with direct objects always use haben, never sein
- Word order follows the same rules as with haben - auxiliary verb in second position, past participle at the end
- In subordinate clauses, sein goes directly before the past participle at the end