A comprehensive overview of the German verb "werden," including its meanings, uses, conjugations, and examples.
The verb werden is one of the most important and versatile verbs in the German language. It can mean "to become," and is also used as an auxiliary verb to form the future tense and the passive voice. It is irregular and follows a strong verb pattern.
- Means "to become" when used as a main verb.
- Acts as an auxiliary verb for future tense (e.g., ich werde gehen — I will go).
- Used to form the passive voice (e.g., es wird gemacht — it is being done).
- Irregular in certain forms (stem changes from "werd-" to "wird-").
- Conjugated with sein in the perfect tense.
Main Verb Meaning: "to become"
When werden is used as a main verb, it means "to become" or "get". It describes a change of state or a transformation.
- Er wird Arzt. (He becomes a doctor.)
- Es wird dunkel. (It is getting dark.)
- Sie wird müde. (She is becoming tired.)
Tip*: The complement (e.g., a noun, adjective, or adverb) tells you what someone or something is becoming.
When 'werden' is used as a main verb, what types of complements usually follow it?
nouns (often professions) or adjectives indicating what someone becomes
As a main verb meaning 'to become,' 'werden' is typically followed by a noun (often a profession) or an adjective describing the new state.
Auxiliary Verb: Future Tense
Werden is used as an auxiliary verb to form the future tense in German. It is combined with an infinitive at the end of the sentence.
- Ich werde gehen. (I will go.)
- Wir werden reisen. (We will travel.)
- Du wirst lernen. (You will study.)
Tip*: The main verb stays in the infinitive at the end.
Auxiliary Verb: Passive Voice
Werden is also used to form the passive voice in German. The past participle of the main verb follows werden, and the sentence focuses on the action, not the actor.
- Das Buch wird gelesen. (The book is being read.)
- Der Brief wird geschrieben. (The letter is being written.)
- Die Fenster werden geputzt. (The windows are being cleaned.)
Tip: Look for the past participle (ge-...t or irregular form) after werden*.
Here is the full present tense conjugation of werden, followed by examples:
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | werde | I become/will | Ich werde Arzt. | I become a doctor. |
| du | wirst | you become/will | Du wirst müde. | You become tired. |
| er/sie/es | wird | he/she/it becomes/will | Sie wird alt. | She becomes old. |
| wir | werden | we become/will | Wir werden fertig. | We become ready. |
| ihr | werdet | you (pl.) become/will | Ihr werdet gesund. | You (pl.) become healthy. |
| sie/Sie | werden | they/you (formal) become/will | Sie werden Freunde. | They become friends. |
Tip: Notice the stem changes in du (wirst) and er/sie/es (wird)*.
Werden as Main Verb ("to become")
Werden describes a transformation or change of state.
- Ich werde müde. (I become tired.)
- Er wird Lehrer. (He becomes a teacher.)
- Das Kind wird groß. (The child grows up.)
Werden + Future Tense
Using werden as an auxiliary verb with an infinitive at the end.
- Ich werde morgen arbeiten. (I will work tomorrow.)
- Wir werden bald reisen. (We will travel soon.)
- Du wirst das schaffen. (You will manage that.)
Tip*: The infinitive moves to the very end of the sentence.
Werden + Passive Voice
Using werden with a past participle to form the passive voice.
- Das Essen wird gekocht. (The food is being cooked.)
- Die Hausaufgaben werden gemacht. (The homework is being done.)
- Das Auto wird repariert. (The car is being repaired.)
Tip*: The subject receives the action, and the doer is often omitted.
Werden + Noun/Adjective
When werden means "to become," it is followed by a noun (usually without an article when talking about professions) or an adjective.
- Er wird Ingenieur. (He becomes an engineer.)
- Sie wird glücklich. (She becomes happy.)
- Ich werde Lehrer. (I become a teacher.)
Tip*: No article before professions (das wird oft weggelassen).
Negative form with werden
To negate werden, simply add nicht before the infinitive (future) or after the verb (main/passive).
- Ich werde nicht gehen. (I will not go.)
- Er wird nicht Arzt. (He does not become a doctor.)
- Der Brief wird nicht geschrieben. (The letter is not being written.)
Tip: Position of nicht* depends on sentence structure.
Where is 'nicht' placed to negate 'werden' in a future tense sentence?
before the infinitive at the end (e.g., Ich werde nicht gehen)
In future sentences using 'werden + infinitive,' 'nicht' negates the entire verb phrase by preceding the infinitive.
Werden + modal verbs
When werden is combined with a modal verb in the future, werden is conjugated, and both the modal and main verb remain in infinitive form.
- Ich werde gehen müssen. (I will have to go.)
- Du wirst arbeiten können. (You will be able to work.)
- Wir werden bleiben wollen. (We will want to stay.)
Tip*: German allows multiple infinitives at the end of the sentence.
Confusing werden with sein or haben
Werden is used to express becoming, future tense, or passive voice. Do not confuse it with sein (to be) or haben (to have).
- Correct: Ich werde müde. (I become tired.)
- Incorrect: Ich bin müde werden.
Incorrect stem in du and er/sie/es forms
The correct forms are du wirst and er/sie/es wird (not "werdet" or "werden").
- Correct: Du wirst müde.
- Incorrect: Du werdest müde.
- Correct: Er wird Arzt.
- Incorrect: Er werden Arzt.
Forgetting past participle in passive
Passive sentences require werden + past participle. Don’t omit the participle.
- Correct: Der Brief wird geschrieben.
- Incorrect: Der Brief wird schreiben.
Werden is a key verb in German with three main uses:
- Main verb: to become (followed by noun or adjective)
- Auxiliary verb for future: werden + infinitive
- Auxiliary verb for passive: werden + past participle
Irregular stem appears in du (wirst) and er/sie/es (wird). Conjugated with sein in perfect tense.
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- English Conjugation: I become/will
- English Example: I become a doctor.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
