German Verbs of Motion

What You Need to Know

This page is about verbs of motion.
You can find an overview of other German verb types ← here.

If you want to read about this topic in German, switch to → Bewegungsverben mit „sein“.

What Are Verbs of Motion?

Verbs of motion are verbs that describe a change of location or movement from one place to another.

These include gehen (go), laufen (walk), fahren (drive), fliegen (fly), and schwimmen (swim).

What Makes Verbs of Motion Special?

Verbs of motion are unique because they indicate a change of location or movement and take the auxiliary verb “sein” instead of “haben” in both the perfect and past perfect tenses.

This sets them apart from many other verbs!

Additionally, they often influence sentence structure, as they are frequently used with directional phrases or destinations, such as:

→ Er ist nach Hause gegangen.
He has gone home.

Verbs of Motion Use “sein” in the Perfect Tense

The perfect tense is one of the most commonly used past tenses in German.

It plays a central role, especially in spoken German, as it is often used instead of the simple past to talk about past events.

The perfect tense is normally formed with the auxiliary verb “haben” and the past participle.

haben + past participle

→ Ich habe gegessen.
I have eaten.

However, some verbs do not use “haben” but instead take “sein” in the perfect tense.

This mainly applies to:

✔ Verbs of motion → Verbs that describe a change of location gehen (go), fahren (drive), laufen (walk), fliegen (fly), schwimmen (swim), etc.

✔ Verbs indicating a change of state → Verbs that describe a transition or development, e.g., einschlafen (fall asleep) → from awake to sleeping.

This page focuses on verbs of motion.

sein + past participle

→ Ich bin gerannt.
I have run.

Important Verbs of Motion

Here are examples of verbs of motion that are generally used with “sein” instead of “haben” in the perfect tense.

Exception: Verbs of Motion with “haben”

For most verbs of motion, the focus is on the movement itself – in these cases, the perfect tense is formed with “sein“.

→ Wir sind durch den ganzen Saal getanzt.
We have danced through the entire hall.

However, when the action or process itself is emphasized, some verbs of motion take “haben” as the auxiliary verb.

→ Wir haben die ganze Nacht getanzt.
We have danced all night.

Exercise 1 – Perfect Tense with “sein” – Verbs of Motion

In Exercise 1, you can review the conjugation of the verb “sein”.

🔒 Exercise 2 | 🔒 Exercise 3 | 🔒 Exercise 4 …

More exercises on verbs and other topics are available in LGE Premium.

In LGE Premium, you will find many engaging exercises and learning materials (German/English) to help you learn German effectively and with fun.

👉 You can find an overview of other important German verb types ← here.