Verb 'werden' (Present) in German

Overview

The verb werden is one of the most important verbs in German. In the present tense, it means "to become" or "to get," and it is used constantly in everyday speech. At the A1 level, you will use it to describe changes of state, like Es wird kalt (It's getting cold) or Ich werde müde (I'm getting tired).

Beyond its basic meaning, werden is also the building block for the future tense and the passive voice, which you will encounter at later levels. For now, focus on mastering its irregular present tense conjugation and its use as a main verb meaning "to become."

Werden is irregular, with a stem vowel change from e to i in the second and third person singular. This is a pattern you will see in several other strong German verbs, so learning werden well gives you practice with an important conjugation type.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Person	Pronoun	Conjugation	English
1st sg.	ich	werde	I become
2nd sg.	du	wirst	you become
3rd sg.	er/sie/es	wird	he/she/it becomes
1st pl.	wir	werden	we become
2nd pl.	ihr	werdet	you all become
3rd pl.	sie/Sie	werden	they/you (formal) become

Key points:

• Stem vowel changes from e → i in du and er/sie/es forms
• The du form is wirst (not werdst)
• The er/sie/es form is wird (not werdt)

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Es wird kalt.	It's getting cold.	Weather/temperature change
Ich werde müde.	I'm getting tired.	Physical state change
Er wird Arzt.	He is becoming a doctor.	Profession/role
Sie wird rot.	She's turning red.	Color change (blushing)
Wir werden alt.	We are getting old.	Gradual change
Du wirst groß!	You're getting tall!	Said to a child
Es wird dunkel.	It's getting dark.	Time of day
Die Tage werden kürzer.	The days are getting shorter.	Seasonal change
Er wird wütend.	He's getting angry.	Emotional state
Wird es besser?	Is it getting better?	Question about change

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the stem vowel change

• Wrong: Du werdest sehr groß.
• Right: Du wirst sehr groß.
• Why: Werden has an irregular stem change: e → i in the du and er/sie/es forms.

Confusing werden with sein

• Wrong: Ich bin müde (when you mean you are becoming tired, not that you already are)
• Right: Ich werde müde (process of becoming tired)
• Why: Sein describes a current state; werden describes a change or process. "Ich bin müde" = I am tired. "Ich werde müde" = I am getting tired.

Using the wrong form for er/sie/es

• Wrong: Er werdet Arzt.
• Right: Er wird Arzt.
• Why: The third person singular form is wird, not werdet (which is the ihr form).

Practice Tips

1. Describe changes you observe throughout the day using werden: "Es wird hell" (It's getting bright) in the morning, "Es wird warm" at midday, "Es wird dunkel" in the evening. This builds a natural habit.
2. Practice the full conjugation table aloud every day for a week, paying special attention to the du/er forms where the stem vowel changes to i.

Related Concepts

• Subject Pronouns (Nominative) — the pronouns used with werden conjugations