What you will learn
- Describe a person and what they have using the correct subject form.
- Explain the key contrast: Why does a description after sein stay nominative?
Describe who or how someone is
Quick summary
Use sein for “to be”: ich bin, du bist, er ist.
Why it matters
These forms let you describe yourself and other people.
Build the pattern
Use sein for “to be”: ich bin, du bist, er ist.
How it works
Learn these present forms as a set: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie sind, Sie sind. You cannot build them by simply adding regular endings to the dictionary form.
An adjective describes someone or something. For example, müde describes how a person feels.
müde means “tired” and bereit means “ready”. Say Ich bin müde. or Wir sind bereit. An adjective after this verb stays in its plain form: it does not take an ending to match the person.
Keep the same sentence patterns: Du bist bereit becomes Bist du bereit? Negate the description with nicht: Ich bin nicht müde.
Examples
Common mistakes
Du bin müde.Du bist müde.The form with du is bist.
Limits & exceptions
- This block teaches present forms, not past forms or adjective endings before a noun.
A little deeper
The verb still agrees with the subject even though its forms are irregular.
Say what someone has
Quick summary
Use haben for “to have”: ich habe, du hast, er hat.
Why it matters
You can describe possessions and familiar needs.
Build the pattern
Use haben for “to have”: ich habe, du hast, er hat.
How it works
The present forms are ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie haben, Sie haben. Notice that the b disappears in hast and hat.
A thing someone has is an accusative object: Ich habe einen Apfel. The masculine article follows the pattern from the previous block. Du hast ein Buch. keeps neuter ein.
German uses Hunger haben for “to be hungry” and Durst haben for “to be thirsty”. Learn these expressions as pairs rather than translating the English verb word for word. Ich habe keinen Hunger means “I am not hungry”.
Examples
Common mistakes
Er habt ein Buch.Er hat ein Buch.Use hat with er; habt belongs with ihr.
Limits & exceptions
- Use these verbs for present descriptions and possession. Their role in forming other tenses comes later.
A little deeper
English and German can choose different verbs for the same everyday message. Memorising a short expression can be more useful than a single translated word.
Describe a person, not an object
Quick summary
In Er ist Lehrer, the word after the verb describes the same person.
Why it matters
This explains why “to be” does not follow the object pattern of “to have”.
Build the pattern
In Er ist Lehrer, the word after the verb describes the same person.
How it works
der Lehrer means “male teacher”; die Lehrerin means “female teacher”. For a basic occupation statement, usually leave out the article: Er ist Lehrer. and Sie ist Lehrerin.
A noun phrase after sein names or describes the subject; it is not an accusative object. If an article is present, use the nominative: Das ist ein Lehrer, not einen Lehrer.
Compare Das ist ein Apfel (“This is an apple”) with Ich habe einen Apfel (“I have an apple”). One identifies something; the other says what someone has.
Examples
Common mistakes
Das ist einen Lehrer.Das ist ein Lehrer.After ist, this noun phrase stays nominative.
Limits & exceptions
- The no-article occupation pattern is for a basic statement. More detailed descriptions can use an article.
A little deeper
A word’s position after a verb does not decide its case by itself. The verb’s pattern matters.
Describe the weather and what is there
Quick summary
Use Es ist kalt. for “It is cold” and Es gibt … for “There is/are …”.
Why it matters
Two short frames let you describe your surroundings.
Build the pattern
Use Es ist kalt. for “It is cold” and Es gibt … for “There is/are …”.
How it works
kalt means “cold”. Weather descriptions can use an impersonal es: Es ist kalt. Here it does not stand for a named object.
Learn es gibt as a fixed present-tense frame meaning “there is” or “there are”. What follows is accusative: Es gibt einen Tisch. or Es gibt Bücher.
The verb stays gibt even with several things: Es gibt Bücher. Do not change it to a plural form. You are describing what exists, not making the books the subject.
Examples
Common mistakes
Es gibt ein Tisch.Es gibt einen Tisch.This frame takes an accusative noun phrase, so use masculine einen.
Limits & exceptions
- Treat es gibt as a fixed expression here. Other forms and meanings of the verb are outside this block.
A little deeper
The same English word “is” appears in “is tired” and “there is a table”, but these German frames use different verbs.
Words in context
| Word / expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| seinverb | to be | Ich bin müde.I am tired. Word noteIrregular forms include bin, bist and ist. |
| habenverb | to have | Du hast ein Buch.You have a book. Word noteLearn hast and hat without a b. |
| müdeadjective | tired | Ich bin müde.I am tired. Word noteKeep the umlaut; no adjective ending after bin. |
| bereitadjective | ready | Wir sind bereit.We are ready. Word noteUse the same adjective form for one or several people. |
| der Hungernoun | hunger | Ich habe Hunger.I am hungry. Word noteNormally uncountable; learn Hunger haben. |
| der Durstnoun | thirst | Ich habe Durst.I am thirsty. Word noteNormally uncountable; learn Durst haben. |
| der Lehrernoun | male teacher | Er ist Lehrer.He is a teacher. Word notePlural: die Lehrer. |
| die Lehrerinnoun | female teacher | Sie ist Lehrerin.She is a teacher. Word notePlural: die Lehrerinnen. |
| kaltadjective | cold | Es ist kalt.It is cold. Word noteIn this example, describe the weather. |
Practise and recall
Cover the examples and build a new phrase with words from this page. Check the form and the meaning, then try again after a break. The free grammar block includes guided practice, an optional mastery check and spaced review.
Practise this grammar block →Related German grammar
Build a practical German learning routine →Sources and review status
Original, AI-assisted teaching material awaiting review by a German-language teacher. These examples cover the stated beginner patterns, not complete A1 proficiency.
- Goethe-Zertifikat A1, Start Deutsch 1: WortlisteGoethe-Institut
- PersonLeibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, grammis
- Hueber: Essential Grammar of German, basic verbs sampleHueber Verlag