Verbs with Nominative (Verben mit Nominativ)

Some German verbs require the subject or predicate in the nominative case. These are often linking verbs or state verbs.

Common Nominative Verbs

German VerbEnglish MeaningExample Sentence
seinto beIch bin müde. → I am tired.
werdento becomeEr wird Arzt. → He becomes a doctor.
bleibento stay/remainWir bleiben zu Hause. → We stay at home.
heißento be calledSie heißt Anna. → She is called Anna.
scheinento seem/appearDas scheint richtig zu sein. → That seems correct.
geltento be validDie Regel gilt für alle. → The rule applies to everyone.
erscheinento appearDer Autor erscheint pünktlich. → The author appears on time.
passento fit/suitDas Hemd passt mir. → The shirt fits me.
dienento serveDieses Buch dient als Referenz. → This book serves as a reference.
genügento be enough/sufficientDas genügt mir. → That is enough for me.

Ich bin glücklich. → I am happy.

Er wird Lehrer. → He becomes a teacher.

Wir bleiben Freunde. → We remain friends.

💡 Tip: These verbs link the subject to a predicate nominative or describe a state, so the noun/pronoun stays in the nominative case.
← Previous Topic: Regular-irregular-verbs Next Topic → Separable-inseparable-verbs Back to Topics