In German, the verb “sein” (to be) is an essential and highly irregular verb. Understanding how to conjugate it in the past tense is crucial for constructing meaningful sentences. Let's look into how “sein” is conjugated and used in the past tense, along with some examples.
Conjugation of “Sein” in Past Tense
The past tense of “sein” in German is formed using the auxiliary verb “haben” (to have) along with the past participle “gewesen”.
Here's how “sein” is conjugated in the past tense:
– Ich war (I was)
– Du warst (You were)
– Er/sie/es war (He/she/it was)
– Wir waren (We were)
– Ihr wart (You all were)
– Sie waren (They were)
Examples of “Sein” in Past Tense
– Ich war gestern zu Hause. (I was home yesterday.)
– Du warst in der Schule. (You were at school.)
– Er war ein ausgezeichneter Schüler. (He was an excellent student.)
– Wir waren letztes Jahr in Berlin. (We were in Berlin last year.)
– Ihr wart im Kino. (You all were at the cinema.)
– Sie waren sehr glücklich. (They were very happy.)
Here are some more examples:
– Ich war müde. (I was tired.)
– Du warst mein bester Freund. (You were my best friend.)
– Sie war die Gewinnerin des Wettbewerbs. (She was the winner of the competition.)
– Wir waren hungrig nach Erfolg. (We were hungry for success.)
– Ihr wart immer sehr freundlich. (You all were always very friendly.)
– Sie waren gestern nicht zu Hause. (They were not home yesterday.)