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Learn about the present-time subjunctive in German, how it expresses contrary-to-fact situations, conjugation examples, and polite requests. Explore the use of "würde + infinitive" and how to form polite questions in the subjunctive mood.
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Kapitel 12 So ist das Leben Treffpunkt Deutsch Sixth Edition
Present-time Subjunctive • The present-time subjunctive: • Presents contrary-to-fact situations (what if…?) • Uses a different verb form than factual situations. For example: • I don’t have a house. (present – factual) • IchhabekeinHaus. • If I (only) had a house. (present-time subjunctive) • WennichnureinHaushätte! • Remember, the subordinating conjunction wenn introduces dependent clauses and places the verb to the end of the clause. • The use of had (hätte! )in German in this type of situation is not the simple past form, but rather the present time subjunctive form.
Present-time Subjunctive • The verb forms in the present-time subjunctive derive from the simple past. For example:
Present-time Subjunctive • Let’s have a look at the conjugation for the present-time subjunctive of haben • NOTE: the 1st and 3rd person conjugation forms match just as they do in the simple past
Present-time Subjunctive • Let’s have a look at the conjugation for the present-time subjunctive of sein • NOTE: the 1st and 3rd person conjugation forms match just as they do in the simple past
Present-time Subjunctiveexamples Present Tense Present-time Subjunctive • Ich bin immer so spät. • Ich habe keinen Hund. • Ich kann nicht kochen. • Ich weiβ nicht, wo die Bank ist. • Ich muss meine Hausaufgaben machen. • Meine Freundin will mit mir nicht ins Kino gehen. • Wennichnichtimmer so spätwäre! • WennichnureinenHundhätte! • Wennichnurkochenkönnte! • Wennichnurwüsste, wo die Bank ist! • WennichnurmeineHausaufgabennichtmachenmüsste. • WennmeineFreundinnurmitmir ins Kino gehenwollte.
Present-time Subjunctivewürde + infinitive • The würde + infinitive is usually used to answer situational questions such as what would you do if…? Was würdest du machen, wenn…. • For example: • Was würdestdu tun, wenn du nach Europa gehen könntest? (What would you do if you could go to Europe?) • Ich würde den Eiffel Turm in Paris sehen. (I would see the Eiffel Tower in Paris.)
Subjunctive – wishes / requests • The subjunctive can be used also to express wishes, polite requests, and questions. • In chapter 4 you learned the form möchte (would like), the derivative of the modal verb mögen (to like). • See the following examples of polite requests: • Ichmöchtegernein Bier bitte! (I would like a beer please!) • Another way to express this is to use hättegern(would like to have) • Ichhättegernein Bier bitte! (I would like to have a beer please!) • Wishes can be expressed with wäregern (would like to be) or wüsstegern (would like to know) • Ichwärejetztgernam Strand in Florida. (I wish I were on the beach in Florida now.) • Ichwüsstegern, wann der Zug ankommt. (I wish I knew when the train is going to arrive.)
Subjunctive – polite questions • In chapter 5 you were introduced how to formulate more polite questions by using the phrase könntenSiemirbitte….(could you please…) • KönntenSiemirbittesagen, wann das Spiel beginnt? (Could you please tell me when the game begins?) • Notice here the dependent clauses starts with wann and sends the verb to the end of the clause/question)
