The German verb “werden” is one of the most essential and versatile verbs in the language. It serves various purposes, including forming the future tense, expressing the passive voice, and indicating changes or becoming something. Understanding its conjugation is crucial for anyone learning German.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, “werden” is conjugated as follows:
– ich werde (I become)
– du wirst (you become)
– er/sie/es wird (he/she/it becomes)
– wir werden (we become)
– ihr werdet (you [plural] become)
– sie/Sie werden (they/you [formal] become)
Past Tense Conjugation
The past tense of “werden” is “wurde” for the singular forms and “wurden” for the plural forms. Here's how it's conjugated:
– ich wurde (I became)
– du wurdest (you became)
– er/sie/es wurde (he/she/it became)
– wir wurden (we became)
– ihr wurdet (you [plural] became)
– sie/Sie wurden (they/you [formal] became)
Future Tense Conjugation
“werden” is also used to form the future tense in German. When combined with an infinitive verb, it indicates an action that will happen in the future. The conjugation is consistent across all pronouns:
– ich werde spielen (I will play)
– du wirst spielen (you will play)
– er/sie/es wird spielen (he/she/it will play)
– wir werden spielen (we will play)
– ihr werdet spielen (you [plural] will play)
– sie/Sie werden spielen (they/you [formal] will play)
Subjunctive Conjugation
In the subjunctive mood, “werden” is conjugated slightly differently to express hypothetical situations or desires. The subjunctive forms are:
– ich würde (I would)
– du würdest (you would)
– er/sie/es würde (he/she/it would)
– wir würden (we would)
– ihr würdet (you [plural] would)
– sie/Sie würden (they/you [formal] would)