haben and sein – Auxiliary Verbs in German Grammar SPLIT 2

Question 1

When to use haben as an auxiliary

When conjugating the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect in German, most verbs use haben as the auxiliary. For example:

4. When do we use haben as a auxiiliary verb?

Answer 1

modal verbs

Example: Was hat er gewollt/What did he want?

Question 2

When to use haben as an auxiliary

When conjugating the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect in German, most verbs use haben as the auxiliary. For example:

5. When do we use haben as a auxiiliary verb?

Answer 2

impersonal verbs related to weather (with es): blitzen, donnern, hageln, nieseln, regnen, schneien, stürmen, …

Example: Es hat geregnet/It rained

Question 3

When to use haben as an auxiliary

When conjugating the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect in German, most verbs use haben as the auxiliary. For example:

6. When do we use haben as a auxiiliary verb?

Answer 3

other verbs: anfangen, beginnen, zunehmen, abnehmen, aufhören

Example: Ich habe fünf Kilogramm zugenommen/I gained five kilograms

Question 4

There is one exception to using either haben or sein.

Name the verb.

Answer 4

The verb tanzen is an exception. If the focus is not on a change of place then we have to use haben (sein is not possible in this case).

Example: Sie sind durch den Saal getanzt./They are dancing through the hall.

but:

Sie haben früher viel getanzt/They danced a lot in the past.

Sie hat Ballet getanzt./She danced ballet

Wir haben Walzer getanzt./We danced the waltes