Key learning points

1. 'Sein' is an irregular verb. 'Wir sind' means 'we are'.
2. No indefinite article is needed when using ‘sein’ + profession noun, e.g., ‘Sie ist Lehrerin’.
3. The simple present is the only present tense in German.
4. Adverbs of time tell us which English tense to use (simple present or present continuous) when translating from German.

Keywords

• [v] - pronounced as in 'vor'

• Sind - 1st person plural and 3rd person plural present tense form of 'sein', meaning (we, they) 'are' or 'are being’

• Simple present - present tense used to describe habitual, routine actions; it is the only present tense in German

• Present continuous - present tense used in English to describe ongoing, current actions; it is not used in German

• Adverb - word that describes a verb or adjective

Common misconception