A verb that supports a main verb, carrying grammatical information rather than the main meaning.
Also called: helping verb.
In precise terms
A verb with reduced lexical content that combines with a main verb to express tense, aspect, mood, voice or polarity. Auxiliaries typically show restricted syntax — inverting in questions, hosting negation, or appearing in a fixed order.
An example
Ich habe das Buch gelesen.
I have read the book.
What is going on here
'Habe' is the auxiliary; 'gelesen' carries the meaning. German chooses between 'haben' and 'sein' as the perfect auxiliary depending on the verb, which is a fact that must be learned per verb.
Why this matters when you are learning a language
Auxiliaries are how most European languages build their compound tenses, passives and questions. They are few in number and high in frequency — a small, high-return thing to learn thoroughly.
Across languages
Where English uses auxiliaries, other languages often use affixes: Turkish builds the equivalent of 'I have read' inside a single verb form. Some languages use auxiliaries for categories English does not mark with them at all, such as evidentiality.
Related terms
- Modal verbIntermediate — A verb expressing possibility, necessity, permission or ability — can, must, should, may.
- VerbBeginner — A word for an action, event or state — what is happening.
- AspectIntermediate — Grammatical marking of how an event unfolds — whether it is ongoing, completed, repeated or just beginning.
- Grammatical voiceIntermediate — Whether the subject is the one doing the action or the one it is done to — active versus passive.
- CopulaBeginner — An overt grammatical element that supports some clauses with a nonverbal predicate.
- CliticAdvanced — A small grammatical form that cannot stand prosodically on its own and leans on a neighbouring word.
Where to go next
- Language guides — See grammatical and lexical categories used in context.
- Terminology quiz — Test the terms on this page.