Sein
German
editEtymology
editNoun formed from sein (“to be”)
Pronunciation
editNoun
editSein n (strong, genitive Seins, no plural)
- 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
edit- While Existenz means only the fact of being, Sein includes the how and why of being.
Declension
editDeclension of Sein [sg-only, neuter, strong]