werden

Signification

(auxiliary,irregular) will; to be going to; forms the future tense
(auxiliary,irregular,subjunctive) would; forms the subjunctive tense of most verbs
(auxiliary,irregular) to be done; forms the passive voice
(copulative,irregular) to become; to get; to grow; to turn
(irregular) for one to begin or come to feel or experience
(colloquial,copulative,irregular) to be, to happen, to occur (in the future)
(colloquial,irregular) to be going to work

Fréquence

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ˈveːʁdən/

Étymologie

From Middle High German wërden, from Old High German werdan, from Proto-West Germanic *werþan, from Proto-Germanic *werþaną. Cognate with Dutch worden, obsolete English worth, Swedish varda, Norwegian Nynorsk verta, and also with Latin vertere (“to turn”). The use as a passive auxiliary is old and found throughout West Germanic, whereas the use as a future auxiliary is a Middle High German innovation. It originated in inchoative constructions with the present participle: er wirt lachende (“he starts laughing, is about to laugh, will laugh”). Since the 14th century, the participle was increasingly replaced with the infinitive, probably by analogy with the older future auxiliaries wollen (“will”) and sollen (“shall”). These latter were displaced by werden in Modern German, but survive dialectally.