Perfekt with Sein

While most German verbs form the Perfekt with haben, a special group of verbs uses sein (to be) as the auxiliary instead. These are verbs that describe movement from one place to another or a change of state. Mastering which verbs take sein is essential for speaking correct German.

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Conjugation of Sein in the Present Tense

Person	Conjugation	Translation
ich	bin	I am
du	bist	you are (informal)
er / sie / es	ist	he / she / it is
wir	sind	we are
ihr	seid	you are (plural informal)
sie / Sie	sind	they are / you are (formal)

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The Rule: When to Use Sein

A verb uses sein in the Perfekt when it meets both of these conditions:

1. It is intransitive (does not take a direct accusative object)
2. It describes either:
   • Movement from point A to point B (change of place), or
   • A change of state (becoming something different)