{"id":23552,"date":"2020-03-11T11:32:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T11:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sprachschule-aktiv-wien.at\/?page_id=23552"},"modified":"2021-09-21T06:01:11","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T06:01:11","slug":"german-subjunctive-ii-konjunktiv-ii-how-to-form-it-and-practice-it","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sprachschule-aktiv-wien.at\/en\/german-subjunctive-ii-konjunktiv-ii-how-to-form-it-and-practice-it\/","title":{"rendered":"German Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) \u2013 how to form it and practice it\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

German Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) \u2013 how to form it and practice it<\/h1>\n

Subjunctive II is a specific case in German grammar which is often used, and with different meanings.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t panic! We\u2019ll look at it in a moment. In the following post you\u2019ll find how to form the Subjunctive II in the present and the past tense, accompanied by helpful examples.<\/p>\n

How to form the Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)<\/h2>\n

Subjunctive II in the present tense<\/h3>\n

The Subjunctive II has two different forms in the present tense \u2013 the original form and the replacement form.<\/p>\n

1. Original form<\/h3>\n

Building the Subjunctive II in its original form isn\u2019t so difficult:<\/p>\n

Replace past tense + umlaut (for the vowels a, u, o) or the ending -en away from the infinitive form and by the ending -te (if there\u2019s no umlaut).<\/p>\n

In the first and the third person singular, an \u2013e<\/em> is added and then the original form is finished:<\/p>\n

k\u00f6nnen<\/em> – k\u00f6nnte<\/em>
\nm\u00fcssen<\/em> – m\u00fcsste<\/em>
\nd\u00fcrfen<\/em> – d\u00fcrfte<\/em>
\nwollen<\/em> \u2013 wollte<\/em>\u00a0 (no umlaut)
\nsollen – sollte<\/em> (no umlaut)<\/p>\n

To illustrate this example here is the conjugated form of k\u00f6nnen<\/em> in Subjunctive II.<\/p>\n

ich k\u00f6nnte
\n<\/em>du k\u00f6nntest
\n<\/em>er\/sie\/es k\u00f6nnte
\n<\/em>wir k\u00f6nnten
\n<\/em>ihr k\u00f6nntet
\n<\/em>sie k\u00f6nnten<\/em><\/p>\n

But, actually, you don\u2019t need to use this form very often. In German we use the original form mostly in literature and whilst speaking \u2013 especially when asking politely, or expressing wishes or giving advice.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ich h\u00e4tte gern ein Auto. \u2013 <\/em>I would like a car
\nEr w\u00e4re ein guter Lehrer.- <\/em>I would be a good teacher
\nK\u00f6nntest<\/strong> du mir helfen? \u2013 <\/em>Could you help me?
\nIch m\u00fcsste<\/strong> morgen eigentlich arbeiten \u2013 <\/em>I actually have to work tomorrow
\nD\u00fcrfte<\/em><\/strong> ich Ihre Tochter heiraten? \u2013 <\/em>May I marry your daughter?
\nIch wollte, ich w\u00e4re<\/strong> ein Huhn. <\/em>\u2013 I wish I were a chicken
\nDu solltest<\/strong> weniger rauchen. \u2013 <\/em>You should smoke less.<\/p>\n

Several exceptions also apply, such as:<\/p>\n

wissen – w\u00fcsste
\nkommen – k\u00e4me
\ngehen – ginge <\/em>(no umlaut)<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ich w\u00fcsste<\/strong> gern mehr \u00fcber Kunst.
\nEigentlich k\u00e4me<\/strong> der Bus um 10 Uhr.
\n<\/em>F\u00fcr mich ginge<\/strong> auch ein Termin am Mittwoch.<\/em><\/p>\n

But the use of the original form with these verbs isn\u2019t obligatory, because it sounds too formal. All other verbs are mostly built with the replacement form. And that\u2019s very easy.<\/p>\n

2. Can Replacement form<\/h3>\n

For the replacement form of the Subjunctive II we need a conjugated form of \u2018werden<\/em>\u2019 in its Subjunctive II form and in the infinitive, also \u2018w\u00fcrde\u2019<\/em> + infinitive. And that\u2019s all!<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ich w\u00fcrde<\/strong> am Wochenende so gern nach Salzburg fahren.
\nSie w\u00fcrde<\/strong> gern in \u00d6sterreich\u00a0Deutsch lernen.
\nEr w\u00fcrde<\/strong> gern ein Auto kaufen.
\nWir w\u00fcrden<\/strong> dich jedes Jahr besuchen.
\nDu w\u00fcrdest<\/strong> zwar gern morgen drau\u00dfen schwimmen, leider ist es sehr kalt und es geht nicht.
\n<\/em>Wann w\u00fcrdet<\/strong> ihr morgen kommen?<\/em><\/p>\n

Think about the sentence structure: \u2018w\u00fcrde\u2019<\/em> comes in the main clause in position 2, and the infinitive comes at the end.<\/p>\n

Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) in the past tense<\/h3>\n

The building of Subjunctive II in the past tense functions almost like the normal perfect tense. Only the forms of \u2018haben\u2019<\/em> and \u2018sein\u2019<\/em> have to be converted into the Subjunctive.<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Normal\u2019 perfect:<\/p>\n

Ich habe<\/strong> gestern ein gr\u00fcnes Auto gekauft<\/strong>.
\nIch bin<\/strong> gestern nach Italien geflogen<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The same sentences in Subjunctive II in the past tense:
\n
\nIch h\u00e4tte<\/strong> gestern gern ein gr\u00fcnes Auto gekauft<\/strong>.
\nIch w\u00e4re<\/strong> gestern gern zum\u00a0Deutschkurs\u00a0gekommen<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Now you can use the Subjunctive II in the past tense!<\/p>\n

Here, those verbs that have already been formed in the perfect with \u2018haben\u2019<\/em> have also been formed in the past in Subjunctive II; those who are already formed in the perfect also take past Subjunctive II as a form.<\/p>\n

Here those verbs which are already formed in the perfect with \u2018habe\u2019 are also formed with Subjuncitve II in the past. Similarly, those verbs which were formed in the perfect with \u2018sein\u2019<\/em> are also formed in Subjunctive II with \u2018sein\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Further examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

H\u00e4tte<\/em><\/strong> ich doch nur mehr ge\u00fcbt<\/strong>, dann w\u00e4re<\/strong> die Pr\u00fcfung f\u00fcr mich einfacher verlaufen<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>W\u00e4re<\/em><\/strong> ich fr\u00fcher aufgestanden, h\u00e4tte<\/strong> ich den Bus nicht verpasst<\/strong>!
\n<\/em>H\u00e4ttest<\/em><\/strong> mir dich nur schon gestern gesagt<\/strong>, dass du heute ausgehen willst, dann w\u00e4re<\/strong> ich mitgekommen<\/strong>. <\/em>Jetzt bin ich leider schon verplant.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another thing: The Subjunctive II only has one past tense \u2013 no plusperfect or Pr\u00e4teritum. Useful, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

\"Partizip\u00a0I<\/a><\/h2>\n

Exercises:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Put the verbs into the Subjunctive II, in the present or the past.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. a) _________ (K\u00f6nnen) du mir bitte das Salz reichen?<\/li>\n
  2. b) Wenn du noch einmal 18 _________ (sein), was __________ du __________ (tun)?<\/li>\n
  3. c) __________ ich das vorher __________ (wissen), __________ ich anders __________ (entscheiden).<\/li>\n
  4. d) Was __________ letztes Jahr __________ (sein), wenn du ihn nicht __________ __________ (treffen)?<\/li>\n
  5. e) Bez\u00fcglich morgen: Wenn es __________ (geht), _________ ich gern um 20 Uhr __________ (wegfahren).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Answers: a) K\u00f6nnten; b) w\u00e4rst, w\u00fcrdest \u2026 tun; c) H\u00e4tte \u2026 gewusst, h\u00e4tte \u2026 entschieden; d) w\u00e4re \u2026 gewesen, getroffen \u2026 h\u00e4ttest; e) ginge, w\u00fcrde \u2026 wegfahren.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019d like to practice more exercises with the Subjunctive II, and improve your grammar and spelling in a group, then join one of our German courses!<\/p>\n

    Other Blogs<\/h3>\n