Meaning and Usage
The verb sehen means to see in English. It is used to describe the act of perceiving something with the eyes or noticing something. It can also be used in various expressions related to vision, watching, or observing.
Verb Type
Sehen is an irregular verb in German. This means that its conjugation does not follow the regular patterns, and you will need to memorize its forms.
Present Tense Conjugation
Here's how sehen is conjugated in the present tense:
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | sehe | I see | Ich sehe den Film. | I see the movie. |
| du | siehst | you see (singular) | Siehst du den Vogel? | Do you see the bird? |
| er/sie/es | sieht | he/she/it sees | Er sieht das Auto. | He sees the car. |
| wir | sehen | we see | Wir sehen die Berge. | We see the mountains. |
| ihr | seht | you see (plural) | Seht ihr den Sonnenuntergang? | Do you see the sunset? |
| sie/Sie | sehen | they/you see (formal) | Sie sehen das Haus. | They/You see the house. |
Past Tense Conjugation (Präteritum)
The simple past form of sehen is used mostly in written German or formal speech.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | sah | I saw | Ich sah einen Hund. | I saw a dog. |
| du | sahst | you saw (singular) | Sahst du den Film? | Did you see the movie? |
| er/sie/es | sah | he/she/it saw | Sie sah das Bild. | She saw the picture. |
| wir | sahen | we saw | Wir sahen den Vogel. | We saw the bird. |
| ihr | saht | you saw (plural) | Saht ihr die Sterne? | Did you see the stars? |
| sie/Sie | sahen | they/you saw (formal) | Sie sahen das Feuer. | They/You saw the fire. |
Past Participle and Use in Perfect Tense
The past participle of sehen is gesehen. It is used with the auxiliary verb haben to form the perfect tense.
Example:
Ich habe den Film gesehen.
(I have seen the movie.)
Subjunctive (Konjunktiv II) for Hypothetical Situations
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | sähe | I would see | Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, sähe ich mehr Filme. | If I had more time, I would see more movies. |
Imperative Mood
The imperative forms for sehen are used to give commands or requests.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Equivalent | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| du | sieh! | see! (you, singular) | Sieh das an! | See that! |
| ihr | seht! | see! (you, plural) | Seht den Stern! | See the star! |
| Sie (formal) | sehen Sie! | see! (formal) | Sehen Sie das Bild! | See the picture! |
Summary
Sehen is an essential irregular verb in German that means to see. It is commonly used in everyday conversation and requires practice to master its irregular conjugations across different tenses and moods.
