Sein

See also: sein and séin

German

Etymology

Deverbal from sein (“to be”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zaɪ̯n/ (Germany)

  • Audio:

    (file)

    (Germany)

• IPA^(key): /saɪ̯n/, [saɛ̯n] (Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland)
• Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Noun

Sein n (strong, genitive Seins, no plural)

1. existence, being, essence (the state and the conditions of being, existing, occurring)
   • 1798, August Wilhelm Schlegel, transl., Hamlet‎^[1], translation of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, [Act III, scene i]:

     Sein oder Nichtsein, das ist hier die Frage

     To be, or not to be, that is the question

Usage notes

• While Existenz means only the fact of being, Sein includes the how and why of being.

Declension

Declension of Sein [sg-only, neuter, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Sein
genitive	eines	des	Seins
dative	einem	dem	Sein
accusative	ein	das	Sein

Further reading

• “Sein” in Duden online
• “Sein” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache