Plural forms of "sein" (to be)
The verb sein (to be) is highly irregular. Notice how wir and sie share the same form, just like regular verbs.
| Pronoun | Meaning | Form of sein |
|---|---|---|
| wir | we are | sind |
| ihr | you (plural) are | seid |
| sie | they are | sind |
| We are in Germany today. | Wir sind heute in Deutschland. |
| Are you tired? | Seid ihr müde? |
Plural nouns (like groups of people) take the sie form of the verb.
| The people are happy today. | Die Leute sind heute glücklich. |
Plural forms of "haben" (to have)
The plural forms of haben (to have) are regular. They take the standard plural endings (-en, -t, -en).
| Pronoun | Meaning | Form of haben |
|---|---|---|
| wir | we have | haben |
| ihr | you (plural) have | habt |
| sie | they have | haben |
| We have a lot of money. | Wir haben viel Geld. |
Hunger and thirst
In English, you say that you are hungry or thirsty. In German, you say that you have hunger (der Hunger) or thirst (der Durst).
| Are you hungry? | Habt ihr Hunger? |
Because of this, it is common to use both sein and haben in the same sentence when describing how you feel.
| Yes, we are tired and hungry. | Ja, wir sind müde und haben Hunger. |
| No, but we are thirsty. | Nein, aber wir haben Durst. |
Asking questions
Form a yes/no question with sein or haben simply by moving the verb to the beginning of the sentence.
| Are you siblings? | Seid ihr Geschwister? |
| Are we ready now? | Sind wir jetzt fertig? |
| Do we have enough water? | Haben wir genug Wasser? |
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