Questions & Answers about Es wird spät.
Why does the German sentence use wird when the English translation says 'is getting'?
The verb werden means 'to become' or 'to get' when talking about a change in state. Because German does not have an 'is doing' continuous form, Es wird spät translates to both 'It gets late' and 'It is getting late.'
Is the verb wird irregular? What is its dictionary form?
Yes, it is irregular. The infinitive form is werden. When used with 'he', 'she', or 'it', the stem vowel changes from 'e' to 'i', making it er/sie/es wird. You also see this vowel change in the 'you' form: du wirst.
Can I use werden with other adjectives to mean 'getting'?
Yes! You can use it to describe almost any changing state or condition. For example, Es wird kalt means 'It is getting cold' and Ich werde müde means 'I am getting tired.'
Why do we need Es here? Can I just drop it?
German requires a subject in almost all sentences. Just like in English, German uses a 'dummy' subject (es or 'it') for general conditions like time, seasons, and weather. While you might hear a shortened 'Wird spät' in extremely casual slang, a proper sentence needs the Es.
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