When do I need to use 'sein' as the auxiliary verb in the past perfect tense?

Generally, we conjugate the verb 'sein' for any verb that indicates i) movement ii) or a change in state.For example i) gehen = to go and suggests an act of movement therefore we would have to conjugate the sein auxiliary and use with the past participle which is gegangen. Hence, 'I went' = Ich bin gegangen. (Bin being the conjugated form of sein for the subject ich)One thing to be aware of is that verbs that indicate a lack of movement also take sein. eg. bleiben = to stay. Hence, 'I stayed at home' = Ich bin zu Hause gebliebenii) Verbs that suggest a change in state could include einfrieren (to freeze), schmelzen (to melt) schalfen (to sleep) aufwachen (to wake up). Any verbs that mean something/someone has transformed from one state to another. eg. 'I woke up' = Ich bin aufgewachen.

MS
Answered by Monique S. German tutor

7468 Views

See similar German A Level tutors

Related German A Level answers

All answers ▸

How is the passive voice used in German?


How do you best succeed at the essay element of the exam?


How can I tell which prepositions take the accusative and which take the dative?


Translate the following paragraph into German: A few weeks ago I read the book called "Größer als das Amt" by James Comey. The book descibes Comey's life and how he became the person who he is today."


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning