Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.".
 When using the verb 'fahren' in the German past tense, 'sein' is the correct auxiliary verb to indicate movement or travel, such as in 'Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren' which means 'I traveled to Berlin'. The choice of 'sein' over 'haben' is pivotal in such contexts because 'fahren' is an intransitive verb that implies a change of location, a state where 'sein' is appropriate to express the action. However, in the sentence 'Ich habe das Auto gefahren' ('I have driven the car'), it  uses 'haben' because it emphasizes the action of driving a specific object – the car. Understanding the nuances of 'haben' and 'sein' helps in accurately conveying past actions and is essential for fluency in German.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Sie sind gestern sehr schnell gewachsen.".
 'Wachsen' indicates a change of state (to grow) which typically requires 'sein' as the auxiliary verb in past tenses. Hence, 'Sie sind gestern sehr schnell gewachsen' (They grew very quickly yesterday) is the correct sentence. 'Haben' could be used with 'wachsen' in certain dialects or colloquial usage, but is generally considered less standard. Mastering the appropriate usage of 'haben' and 'sein' enhances the precision of expressing states and actions in the German language.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Der Hund hat im Garten gespielt.".
 'Spielen' is an action verb that typically requires the verb 'haben' as an auxiliary when forming the perfect tense. Therefore, 'Der Hund hat im Garten gespielt' (The dog played in the garden) is the correct sentence. 'Ist' is generally used with intransitive verbs, especially those depicting movement or state change, which is not the case with 'spielen'. The correct use of 'haben' and 'sein' in the right context forms a crucial part of accurately conveying meaning in the German language.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Er hat einen Brief geschrieben.".
 For the verb 'schreiben' (to write), 'haben' is the correct auxiliary verb in the past tense, not 'sein'. So the correct sentence is 'Er hat einen Brief geschrieben' which means 'He has written a letter'. When you use 'schreiben', it is about an action that has been done, in this case, writing a letter, thus 'haben' is used. Understanding this distinction is crucial in conveying the intended action in the German language.

Question 5

'Haben' or 'Sein' with the Verb 'Spielen' in German Past Tense with Plural Subject?

Accepted Answer

For example - "Die Kinder haben im Park gespielt.".
 In the case of 'spielen' which is an action verb, we typically use 'haben' as an auxiliary verb when forming the past tense. Thus, 'Die Kinder haben im Park gespielt' (The children played in the park) is the correct sentence. 'Sein' is usually used with verbs that depict movement or state change, which is not the case with 'spielen'. Understanding the appropriate usage of 'haben' and 'sein' forms a fundamental part mastering past tense in the German language.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Mein Bruder ist gestern schwimmen gegangen.".
 Since 'schwimmen' can imply motion when combined with 'gehen,' 'sein' is used as the auxiliary verb in 'Mein Bruder ist gestern schwimmen gegangen,' translating to 'My brother went swimming yesterday.' This usage of 'sein' is due to the motion indicated by 'gegangen.' Understanding when to use 'haben' or 'sein' with verbs like 'schwimmen' in different contexts is key for German fluency.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "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.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Die Katze hat den ganzen Tag geschlafen.".
 Although 'schlafen' is an intransitive verb, it uses 'haben' as the helping verb in the perfect tense because it does not indicate a change of state or location. The correct sentence is 'Die Katze hat den ganzen Tag geschlafen', which means 'The cat slept the whole day'. Understanding this distinction is important for accurately expressing actions in German. 
Note that this is different to 'einschlafen' which means 'to fall asleep'. This uses 'sein' because it indicates a change of state.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Das Kind hat das ganze Eis aufgegessen.".
 The verb 'essen' (to eat) usually requires 'haben' to form the perfect tense, as it's a transitive verb which means it requires an object for the action. Hence, 'Das Kind hat das ganze Eis aufgegessen', which means 'The child ate all the ice cream', is the correct sentence. The usage of 'haben' is key to accurately presenting this action in the past tense.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen.".
 'Gehen' indicates movement, so 'sein' is often used as the auxiliary verb in its past tense. Therefore, 'Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen' ('My sister went to the supermarket') is the appropriate sentence. While 'haben' is used with most past tense verbs in German, 'sein' is used with certain intransitive verbs that indicate a change of location or state, like 'gehen'. It's these nuances that can help make your German more fluent and accurate.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Was ist Ihr Lieblingsrestaurant, in dem Sie gegessen haben?".
 For the verb 'essen' (to eat), 'haben' is the correct auxiliary verb in the past tense. So the appropriate sentence is 'Was ist Ihr Lieblingsrestaurant, in dem Sie gegessen haben?', which means 'What is your favorite restaurant in which you have eaten?'. In this case, 'essen' refers to an action involving a personal experience, thus 'haben' is used. This distinction is essential for conveying the intended action and for achieving fluency in German.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Ich bin schon zum Bahnhof gefahren.".
 'Fahren' implies movement and therefore 'sein' is commonly employed as the auxiliary verb in its past tense. As a result, 'Ich bin schon zum Bahnhof gefahren', which translates to 'I have already driven to the station' is the correct sentence. Utilizing 'haben' or 'sein' accurately with verbs like 'fahren' is crucial for conveying apt meaning in German language.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

For example - "Ich bin nach Hause gelaufen.".
 'Laufen' is an action verb that indicates movement, thus it generally requires 'sein' as the auxiliary verb when forming the past tense. So, the correct sentence would be 'Ich bin nach Hause gelaufen', which means 'I ran home'. 'Haben' would generally be incorrect in this context. Understanding the appropriate application of 'haben' and 'sein' with different verbs is fundamental in constructing accurate sentences in the German language.

FAQ - Auxiliary Verbs

Introduction

Navigation

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

Introduction

Navigation

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

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