Auxiliary Verbs in German

This section explains Auxiliary Verbs in The Perfect Tense in German. The perfect tense (also called Perfekt) is one of the past tenses in German. It is used to talk about actions that have been completed or events that have happened in the past. In English, this tense is similar to the present perfect, as it often uses "have" or "has".

Auxiliary Verbs in the Perfect Tense

To form the perfect tense, two auxiliary verbs are used:

• "haben" (to have)
• "sein" (to be)

The choice of auxiliary verb depends on the main verb of the sentence.

"Haben" as the Auxiliary Verb

In most cases, "haben" is used as the auxiliary verb in the perfect tense. You use "haben" with transitive verbs (verbs that require a direct object) and with most intransitive verbs.

Conjugation of "haben" in the Present Tense:

Examples Using "haben" in the Perfect Tense:

• Ich habe gegessen.
  (I have eaten.)
• Du hast das Buch gelesen.
  (You (singular) have read the book.)
• Er hat einen Film gesehen.
  (He has seen a film.)
• Wir haben das Problem gelöst.
  (We have solved the problem.)
• Sie haben in Berlin gewohnt.
  (They have lived in Berlin.)

"Sein" as the Auxiliary Verb

"Sein" is used as the auxiliary verb with verbs of movement (e.g., gehen – to go, fahren – to drive) and verbs that express a change of state (e.g., werden – to become, einschlafen – to fall asleep).

Conjugation of "sein" in the Present Tense:

Examples Using "sein" in the Perfect Tense:

• Ich bin nach Hause gegangen.
  (I have gone home.)
• Du bist in den Park gefahren.
  (You (singular) have gone to the park.)
• Er ist früh eingeschlafen.
  (He has fallen asleep early.)
• Wir sind nach Berlin gereist.
  (We have travelled to Berlin.)
• Sie sind in die Schule gegangen.
  (They have gone to school.)

Formation of the Perfect Tense

To form the perfect tense, you need:

1. The appropriate auxiliary verb (haben or sein).
2. The past participle of the main verb.

• The past participle is formed by adding the "ge-" prefix and "-t" (for regular verbs) or "-en" (for irregular verbs) to the verb stem.
  • Regular verbs: machen → gemacht, spielen → gespielt.
  • Irregular verbs: sehen → gesehen, fahren → gefahren.
  • Most verbs (especially transitive verbs, i.e., those with direct objects).
  • Reflexive verbs (e.g., sich erinnern – to remember).
  • Verbs that express states or processes (e.g., lernen – to learn, arbeiten – to work).
  • Verbs of movement (e.g., gehen – to go, fahren – to drive).
  • Verbs expressing a change of state (e.g., werden – to become, einschlafen – to fall asleep).
  • Certain intransitive verbs (e.g., bleiben – to stay, passieren – to happen).
  • Ich habe die Hausaufgaben gemacht.
    (I have done the homework.)
  • Du hast das Fenster geöffnet.
    (You (singular) have opened the window.)
  • Er hat einen Hund gesehen.
    (He has seen a dog.)
  • Wir haben in der Stadt gewohnt.
    (We have lived in the city.)
  • Ich bin ins Kino gegangen.
    (I have gone to the cinema.)
  • Du bist nach Hause gekommen.
    (You (singular) have come home.)
  • Sie sind nach Spanien gereist.
    (They have travelled to Spain.)
  • Wir haben das Buch schon gelesen.
    (We have already read the book.)
  • Er hat gestern mit seiner Freundin telefoniert.
    (He has spoken with his girlfriend on the phone yesterday.)
  • Ich habe viel über das Thema gelernt.
    (I have learned a lot about the topic.)
  • Ich bin den ganzen Tag im Park geblieben.
    (I have stayed in the park all day.)
  • Er ist schnell nach Hause gefahren.
    (He has driven home quickly.)
  • Sie sind in den Sommerferien nach Italien gereist.
    (They have travelled to Italy during the summer holidays.)

Key Rules for Using "Haben" and "Sein" in the Perfect Tense:

"Haben" is used with:

"Sein" is used with:

Foundation Tier Examples (Perfect Tense)

With "haben":

With "sein":

Higher Tier Examples (Perfect Tense)

With "haben":

With "sein":

Summary:

• The perfect tense in German is used to describe actions that have been completed in the past.
• It is formed with an auxiliary verb (either "haben" or "sein") and a past participle of the main verb.
• "Haben" is used with most verbs, especially transitive verbs and reflexive verbs.
• "Sein" is used with verbs of movement, change of state, and certain intransitive verbs.
• The word order in the perfect tense usually places the auxiliary verb in the 2nd position and the past participle at the end of the sentence.