Questions & Answers about Ich werde nervös.
Why is werde translated as "am getting" here instead of "become"?
The German verb werden translates to both "to become" and "to get" when describing a change of state. In conversational English, we usually say "I am getting nervous" rather than "I am becoming nervous," but German uses werden for both.
Is werden always used as a main verb meaning "to become" or "to get"?
In this lesson, yes! However, werden is a very busy verb in German. Later on, you will also learn how to use it as a helper verb to build the future tense (like the English "will"). When it sits alone as the only verb in the sentence, like in Ich werde nervös, it means "to become" or "to get".
If I want to say "I am nervous" (already in that state), what verb do I use?
You would use the verb sein (to be) and say Ich bin nervös. Using werde specifically shows that the feeling is starting or building up right now, rather than just describing how you currently are.
Do I need to add any adjective endings to nervös?
No. When an adjective follows verbs like sein (to be) or werden (to become) to describe the subject, it stays in its basic dictionary form. You only add endings to adjectives when they come directly in front of a noun.
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