Frequently Asked German Questions

'Haben' or 'Sein' with the Verb 'Backen' in German Past Tense?

Home > German Language > 'Haben' or 'Sein' with the Verb 'Backen' in German Past Tense?

For example, the sentence "Ich habe einen Kuchen gebacken."

'Backen' is a transitive action verb, hence it requires 'haben' to form the perfect past tense. So, the correct sentence is 'Ich habe einen Kuchen gebacken', which means 'I baked a cake'. 'Sein' is typically used with intransitive verbs which involve a change in state or movement, which is not the case with 'backen'. Understanding the differential usage of 'haben' and 'sein' is crucial to forming accurate sentences in German.

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