Top 20 Verbs with SEIN as the Auxiliary Verb in PERFEKT
Only about 14 percent of the German verbs from A1 to B1 use sein as the auxiliary verb in the Perfekt, and 20 of them are enough to cover the vast majority. According to the official Goethe vocabulary list, there are 690 verbs from A1 to B1 including verbs with prefixes. 86 percent of them use haben and 14 percent use sein, which is only around 90 verbs. If you count the verbs without their prefix versions, it is 95 percent haben and just 5 percent sein, which is 37 verbs. This lesson gives you the top 20 with example sentences and two simple rules to decide.
Two Rules: Change of State and Movement
If you are not sure which auxiliary verb to use, look at the verb. If it expresses one of these two things, use sein:
- A change of state: something is small and then it grows (wachsen), a person is alive and then dies (sterben).
- A movement or change of place from A to B: rennen, fliegen, gehen, fahren.
A few verbs do not fit either rule, such as bleiben, passieren, sein and werden. Learn those by heart. The first three in the list below (wachsen, steigen, sinken) all express a change of state.
The Top 20 Verbs with sein
| # | Verb | Meaning | Example from the video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | wachsen | to grow | Meine Pflanze ist schnell gewachsen. My plant has grown quickly. |
| 2 | steigen | to rise, to increase | Die Temperaturen sind gestiegen. The temperatures have risen. |
| 3 | sinken | to decrease, to sink | Die Benzinpreise sind stark gesunken. Petrol prices have fallen sharply. |
| 4 | rennen | to run, to race | Gestern ist mein Hund auf die Straße gerannt. Yesterday my dog ran into the street. Aber glücklicherweise ist nichts passiert. But luckily nothing happened. |
| 5 | schwimmen | to swim | Als Kind bin ich oft im Fluss geschwommen. As a child I often swam in the river. |
| 6 | sterben | to die | Gestern ist Laura gestorben. Laura died yesterday. |
| 7 | aufstehen | to get up | Wann bist du heute Morgen aufgestanden? When did you get up this morning? |
| 8 | folgen | to follow | Die Katze ist Maya bis nach Hause gefolgt. The cat followed Maya all the way home. |
| 9 | reisen | to travel | Bist du schon mal allein ins Ausland gereist? Have you ever travelled abroad alone? |
| 10 | fliegen | to fly | Vorher sind die Schwalben tief geflogen. The swallows flew low before. |
| 11 | fallen | to fall, to decline | Das Glas ist auf den Boden gefallen. The glass has fallen to the floor. |
| 12 | verschwinden | to disappear | Meine Schlüssel sind verschwunden. My keys have disappeared. |
| 13 | laufen | to walk, to run | Toni ist gestern zur Uni gelaufen. Toni walked to the university yesterday. |
| 14 | passieren | to happen | Was ist passiert? What happened? |
| 15 | bleiben | to stay, to remain | Rob ist gestern den ganzen Tag zu Hause geblieben. Rob stayed at home all day yesterday. |
| 16 | werden | to become, to get | Heute Morgen ist es früh hell geworden. It got light early this morning. |
| 17 | gehen | to go, to walk | Gestern ist Gina erst um 22 Uhr nach Hause gegangen. Yesterday Gina did not go home until 10 p.m. |
| 18 | fahren | to go, to drive | Wohin bist du am Wochenende gefahren? Where did you go at the weekend? |
| 19 | kommen | to come | Meine Nachbarn sind auch zum Grillabend gekommen. My neighbors also came to the barbecue. |
| 20 | sein | to be | Gestern sind wir im Zoo gewesen. Yesterday we were at the zoo. |
Notes on Some of the Verbs
- aufstehen is a separable verb, so strictly it should not be in this list. It is here because the main verb stehen can use either sein or haben, depending on the region. More on this in the bonus tip below. Aufstehen can mean getting out of bed or getting up from a chair.
- passieren is a very common question: Was ist passiert? You ask it when a friend is sad, very happy or wants to tell you exciting news.
- bleiben: if you stay at home all day and do nothing, there is a verb for that: faulenzen.
- fahren can also take haben. When you ride or drive a specific vehicle, use haben: Mein Onkel hat früher einen Porsche gefahren. My uncle used to drive a Porsche. Gestern habe ich unser Auto in die Garage gefahren. Yesterday I drove our car into the garage. This is not that common. If you are not sure, always use sein.
- gehen in the example: if you are not sure about erst and schon to emphasize early or late, there is a lesson about it linked below.
- mal in schon mal is a Modalpartikel, one of those small words you hear often in spoken German.
Better in the Past: sein, haben and the Modal Verbs
The sentence Gestern sind wir im Zoo gewesen is absolutely correct, but you will not hear it very often. For sein, haben and the six modal verbs we mostly use the Präteritum (simple past) when we talk about the past. So the better version is Gestern waren wir im Zoo.
Bonus Tip 1: The Six Most Important Verbs with Prefixes
Write these down: kommen, fahren, fallen, gehen, laufen and ziehen. They are the most important verbs when it comes to prefixes, because they have many different meanings with different prefixes. Think of ankommen, vorkommen, mitkommen and zurückkommen: they all have the same main verb.
Bonus Tip 2: sitzen, stehen and liegen
This is a regional question. In the south of Germany, in Austria and in Switzerland, people use sein with sitzen, stehen and liegen: ich bin gesessen, ich bin gestanden, ich bin gelegen. In the rest of Germany people use haben: ich habe gesessen, ich habe gestanden, ich habe gelegen.
If you want to keep it simple, always use haben, especially in an exam like Goethe or telc. Haben is the standard German for these three verbs.
Free PDF: All 90 Verbs with sein
You can search the Goethe lists yourself, but we did the work for you. The free PDF with all around 90 verbs that use sein from A1 to B1 is in the ebook section of our website. Download it here: PDF of all A1 to B1 German verbs with sein. You fill in your name, email and level.
What to Learn Next
For more on the choice between the two auxiliary verbs, read German Perfect Tense: SEIN or HABEN? and practice with PRACTICE German Perfect Tense: HABEN or SEIN. The forms of the past participle are in Das Partizip 2 Explained, and the Präteritum of sein and haben is in HABEN und SEIN im Präteritum. For erst and schon, see When to use erst and schon, and for mal see Modalpartikeln: How to sound more German. To practice sitzen, stehen and liegen with two-way prepositions, try Verben und Präpositionen A2 Practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German verbs use sein in the Perfekt?
Verbs that express a change of state (wachsen, sterben) or a movement from A to B (gehen, fahren, fliegen), plus sein, werden, bleiben and passieren.
How many German verbs use sein?
Of 690 verbs from A1 to B1 (including prefix verbs), 86 percent use haben and 14 percent use sein, around 90 verbs. Without the prefix versions it is 95 percent haben and 5 percent sein, which is 37 verbs.
Does fahren use haben or sein?
Mostly sein: Wohin bist du gefahren? With a specific vehicle as object it uses haben: Mein Onkel hat früher einen Porsche gefahren. When in doubt, use sein.
Do sitzen, stehen and liegen use sein or haben?
In southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland people say ich bin gesessen. In the rest of Germany people say ich habe gesessen. In exams always use haben.
Should I say Gestern sind wir im Zoo gewesen?
It is correct, but not common. For sein, haben and the modal verbs we mostly use the Präteritum: Gestern waren wir im Zoo.
Want to master the Perfekt and the rest of German grammar step by step? Our B1 German online course gives you clear video lessons and practice for every topic.
