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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to form the Perfekt tense in German using the auxiliary verbs „sein“ (to be) and „haben“ (to have), with key verbs like gehen (bin gegangen) and bestellen (habe bestellt) illustrating movement and action.
  1. The perfect tense always consists of two parts: the auxiliary verb sein or haben in the present tense and the past participle of the main verb.
  2. The auxiliary verb always occupies the second position, the past participle II is at the end of the sentence.
  3. Haben is used with most verbs, sein is used with verbs of movement or change of state.
Person (Person)Hilfsverb (sein) (auxiliary verb (to be))
z.B. gehen  (e.g. to go)		Partizip II (past participle)Hilfsverb (haben) (auxiliary verb (haben))
z.B. bestellen (e.g. to order)		Partizip II (past participle)
Ichbingegangen

Beispiel: Ich bin zum Restaurant gegangen.		habe

bestellt

Beispiel: Ich habe Essen bestellt.

Dubisthast
Er/sie/esisthat
Wirsindhaben
Ihrseidhabt
Siesindhaben

Exceptions!

  1. Some verbs of motion take haben when they are connected with an object: Er hat das Fahrrad gefahren (Akkusativobjekt!)
  2. Some verbs can have both, depending on the meaning: Ich habe geschlafen (state) -> Ich bin eingeschlafen (change of state)

Exercise 1: Das Perfekt: Bildung mit „sein“ und „haben“

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

gekommen, habe, getrunken, gegessen, habt, gefahren, ist, gegangen, bestellt, haben, bist, hast

1.
Gehen: Du ... zur Bar ....
(Go: You have gone to the bar.)
2.
Kommen: Der Kellner ... sofort an den Tisch ....
(Come: The waiter came to the table immediately.)
3.
Trinken: Ihr ... ein Bier ....
(Drink: You have drunk a beer.)
4.
Essen: Wir ... den Salat ....
(Eating: We have eaten the salad.)
5.
Fahren: Deine Schwester ... zur Pizzeria ....
(Drive: Your sister has driven to the pizzeria.)
6.
Bestellen: Du ... ein leckeres Gericht ....
(Ordering: You have ordered a delicious dish.)
7.
Bestellen: Ich ... nur ein Getränk ....
(Order: I only ordered one drink.)
8.
Essen: Ihr ... in der Pizzeria ....
(You ate at the pizzeria.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich habe gestern ein neues Buch _______.

(I bought a new book ______ yesterday.)

2. Wir sind letzte Woche nach Berlin _______.

(We went to Berlin last week ______.)

3. Er hat die Speisekarte _______.

(He read the menu ______.)

4. Sie hat das Essen _______.

(She ordered the food ______.)

5. Ich bin heute früh _______.

(I got up early today ______.)

6. Wir haben viel Arbeit _______.

(We did a lot of work ______.)

Understanding the Perfect Tense: Formation with "sein" and "haben"

This lesson explains the formation of the Perfect tense in German, focusing on the use of the auxiliary verbs sein and haben. The Perfect tense is essential for expressing completed actions or past events in everyday conversation.

Structure of the Perfect Tense

The Perfect tense always consists of two parts: an auxiliary verb (sein or haben) conjugated in the present tense, and the past participle (Partizip II) of the main verb placed at the end of the sentence.

  • Auxiliary verb: sein or haben in present tense at the second position of the sentence.
  • Past participle: always positioned at the end.

Which Auxiliary Verb to Use?

The auxiliary verb haben is used with most verbs, especially when describing actions or states.

The auxiliary verb sein is used mainly with verbs indicating movement or a change of state.

For example, consider the verbs:

  • gehen (to go) uses sein as the auxiliary: "Ich bin zum Restaurant gegangen." (I went to the restaurant.)
  • bestellen (to order) uses haben as the auxiliary: "Ich habe Essen bestellt." (I ordered food.)

Special Notes

  • Some verbs of movement take haben instead of sein when they have a direct object, for example: "Er hat das Fahrrad gefahren." (He rode the bicycle.)
  • Some verbs can use either haben or sein depending on meaning: Ich habe geschlafen (I slept - state) versus Ich bin eingeschlafen (I fell asleep - change of state).

Conjugation Overview

The table below shows conjugations for sein and haben with examples of past participles:

Person Auxiliary Verb (sein) e.g. gehen Past Participle Auxiliary Verb (haben) e.g. bestellen Past Participle
Ich bin gegangen habe bestellt
Du bist hast
Er/sie/es ist hat
Wir sind haben
Ihr seid habt
Sie sind haben

Useful Words and Expressions

  • gehen – to go
  • bestellen – to order
  • fahren – to drive, to ride
  • schlafen – to sleep
  • einschlafen – to fall asleep
  • machen – to do, to make

Differences Between English and German

In German, the Perfect tense is commonly used for past actions in spoken language, whereas in English the simple past is more frequent. Also, German requires selecting the correct auxiliary verb—either sein or haben—based on the verb’s meaning. English does not have this auxiliary distinction.

Some key phrases to remember:

  • Ich bin gegangen. – I have gone / I went.
  • Ich habe bestellt. – I have ordered / I ordered.
  • Er ist gefahren. – He has driven / He drove.
  • Er hat das Fahrrad gefahren. – He rode the bicycle.

This guide helps you understand when to use sein or haben in forming the Perfect tense and offers essential vocabulary to practice.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Wednesday, 16/07/2025 23:19