Sein and haben: German beginner guide

The idea

Sein means “to be”: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind. Haben means “to have”: ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie/Sie haben. Learn these frequent forms early.

Examples to say aloud

• Ich bin müde.
  I am tired.
• Du hast Zeit.
  You have time.
• Wir sind hier.
  We are here.

A common mistake

German uses sein for age: Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt. Avoid translating “I have twenty years” literally.

Try it yourself

Complete: Wir ___ hier.

Make your attempt, then open the explanation.

Keep practising

Try KLAR’s first three A1 lessons without signing up. These quick guides are supplementary practice and do not represent a complete A1 course.