how to pronounce sein

/zaɪ̯n/

audio example by a male speaker

audio example by a female speaker

the above transcription of sein is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

sein is pronounced in one syllable

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1. example pitch curve for pronunciation of sein

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video examples of sein pronunciation

An example use of sein in a speech by a native speaker of standard german:

“… Wir werden uns in vielen Fragen sicherlich nicht einig sein, aber zumindest können wir uns einigen …”

meanings of sein

verb:

To exist; there to be; to be alive.
To feel like, to be in the mood for.
To have the next turn (in a game, in a queue, etc.).
Forms the present perfect and past perfect tense of certain intransitive verbs.
To be.
To feel, (to experience a condition).
To be "it"; to be the tagger in a game of tag.

determinative:

Its (agreeing with a neuter or masculine noun).
Used to express an approximate number, often with so.
One's.
His.

pronoun:

Genitive of es.
Genitive of er.

noun:

Existence, being, essence (the state and the conditions of being, existing, occurring).

sein frequency in german - A1 level of CEFR

the word sein occurs in german on average 2098.9 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for A1 level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.