The verb “werden” is one of the most important in the German language. It has three main functions:

1. As a main verb – meaning “to become”
2. As an auxiliary verb – forming the future tense (Futur I & II)
3. As an auxiliary verb – forming the passive voice

Let’s go step by step through all its uses, conjugations, and examples.

1. “Werden” as a Main Verb (To Become)

When used as a main verb, “werden” means “to become” or “to get.”
It is used when talking about changes in state, transformation, or future professions.

Conjugation of “werden” as a Main Verb (Present Tense)

Conjugation of “werden” as a Main Verb in Different Tenses

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Ich werde müde. (I am getting tired.)
      2. Er wurde reich. (He became rich.)
      3. Sie ist alt geworden. (She has gotten old.)
      4. Du wirst Lehrer werden. (You will become a teacher.)
      5. Wir werden bald berühmt geworden sein. (We will have become famous soon.)
      6. Ich werde Arzt. (I am becoming a doctor.)
      7. Es wird dunkel. (It is getting dark.)
      8. Sie wird nervös. (She is becoming nervous.)

2. “Werden” in the Future Tense (Futur I & II)

In German, the future tense (Futur I) is used to express actions that will happen in the future or predictions about the future.

Futur I (Simple Future)

Formed with “werden” + infinitive.

• Subject + werden (conjugated) + infinitive (at the end).

| Conjugation of “werden” (Present Tense) for Future Tense | |——–|————-| | ich | werde | | du | wirst | | er/sie/es | wird | | wir | werden | | ihr | werdet | | sie/Sie | werden |

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Ich werde morgen ins Kino gehen. (I will go to the cinema tomorrow.)
      2. Er wird nächste Woche sein Auto verkaufen. (He will sell his car next week.)
      3. Wir werden das Problem lösen. (We will solve the problem.)
      4. Wirst du mitkommen? (Will you come along?)

Futur II (Future Perfect)

Used to express that something will have happened by a certain time in the future.

• Subject + werden (conjugated) + past participle + haben/sein (infinitive at the end).

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Ich werde die Arbeit bis morgen erledigt haben. (I will have finished the work by tomorrow.)
      2. Er wird bis nächste Woche gereist sein. (He will have traveled by next week.)
      3. Wir werden das Problem bis dahin gelöst haben. (We will have solved the problem by then.)

3. “Werden” in the Passive Voice

“Werden” is also used to form the passive voice, where the focus is on what happens to something or someone, rather than who is performing the action.

Formation:

• Subject + correct form of “werden” + past participle.

Examples of Passive:

1. 1. 1. Die Pizza wird geliefert. (The pizza is being delivered.)
      2. Das Auto wurde gestohlen. (The car was stolen.)
      3. Die Tickets sind gekauft worden. (The tickets have been bought.)
      4. Der Brief wird bald geschrieben werden. (The letter will be written soon.)

4. Summary Table of “Werden” in All Tenses