What is the diff between Wollen and Will? (Questions About Your Target Languages) Language Learning Forum

What is the diff between Wollen and Will?
Tags: Verbs/Conjugation \| German
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shadowzoid
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Message 1 of 6

24 May 2009 at 10:35pm | IP Logged

I am not sure the diff. Michel Thomas says that they are different words, but my older brother, who is fluent in German, said that they are both the same word in different forms. so what is the difference?

and what is the difference between werden and sein?
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rabyte
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Message 2 of 6

24 May 2009 at 11:20pm | IP Logged

"Wollen" and "will" are different forms (conjugation)

to want = wollen
I want = ich will
you want = du willst
he she it wants = er sie es will
we want = wir wollen
you want = ihr wollt
they want = Sie wollen

to answer your second question:
"sein" = "to be" with "werden" as the future form of "sein"

all these words are quite irregular
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Marc Frisch
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Message 3 of 6

25 May 2009 at 8:15pm | IP Logged

shadowzoid wrote:

and what is the difference between werden and sein?

sein = to be
werden = to become

I disagree with the last post that "werden" is a future form of "to be"; it's a completely different verb. However, the future tense is formed with the auxiliary verb "werden", e.g. "ich werde gehen" (I will go), "du wirst sein" (you will be). This is exactly like the English future tense with the auxiliary "will".

PS: Be careful not to confuse the future tense with the passive, which is also formed with "werden":

ich werde geschlagen = I am beaten (werden + past participle)
ich werde schlagen = I will beat (werden + infinitive)

EDIT: Corrected typo.

Edited by Marc Frisch on 26 May 2009 at 9:28pm
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Recht
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Message 4 of 6

25 May 2009 at 10:21pm | IP Logged

Marc Frisch wrote:

shadowzoid wrote:

and what is the difference between werden and
sein?

sein = to be
werden = to become

I disagree with the last post that "werden" is a future form of "to be"; it's a
completely different verb. However, the future tense is formed with the auxiliary verb
"werden", e.g. "ich werde gehen" (I will go), "du wirst sein" (you will be). This is
exactly like the English future tense with the auxiliary "will".

PS: Be careful not to confuse the future tense with the passive, which is also formed
with "werden":

ich werde geschlagen = I am beaten (werden + past participle)
ich werden schlagen = I will beat (werden + infinitive)

would "I become/get beaten" be a better translation, for an English speaker? I know
for me, it was hard getting used to the German use of werden.
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jeff_lindqvist
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Message 5 of 6

26 May 2009 at 12:42am | IP Logged

In this situation, yes. I definitely think that "get (beaten)" is a good translation, and I would translate it the same way into Swedish.

Some information on werden for the "passive voice":
http://www.canoo.net/services/OnlineGrammar/Wort/Verb/Genera /Vorgangspass.html?lang=en
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Weizenkeim
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Message 6 of 6

26 May 2009 at 1:08am | IP Logged

little typo of marc frisch, sorry, sorry, my inner teacher is calling again :)
ich werde schlagen. no 'n'

werden can be auxiliary verb like 'will'
it also has the meaning of 'to become'

If you think of it, this is even logical. It in both cases bears the meaning of transformation.

auxil.futur.:
Ich werde (jdn.) schlagen. I will beat (so.) (idleness transforms to active pain inducing)

passive aux:
Ich werde (von jdn.) geschlagen. I am beaten (by sb.)(integrity transforms to woundedness)
Er wird verwundet. He gets wounded (implying that it is someone else-s fault) (opposed to Ich bin verwundet/I am wounded, refering to the wound, but not that someone wounded you)

Das Fleisch wird zur Wurst. Meat becomes sausage (Unity transforms to chaos)
Der Gedanke wird zur Tat (thought transforms to action)

and knowing this, the composition of pasive and future is not at all confusing anymore:

Ich werde geschlagen werden (I will be beaten --> transformation from being ok into the act of transformation from being ok into being not ok)

Ich werde oft geschlagen, weil ich den Leuten immer ihr Deutsch verbessere. aua aua.

Finally there is a nice false friend accompanying this case, as the German verb 'bekommen' (which logically translates like : 'not own' transforms to 'own' = get) sounds similar to become.
So now you know why that German guy in an English reastaurant says: I become a schnitzel.
ok?

Edited by Weizenkeim on 26 May 2009 at 1:39am

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