Guide to Using Konjunktiv II

Konjunktiv II is an important mood in German, used to express unreal, hypothetical, or polite situations. In this article, you will learn how to form Konjunktiv II in the present and past tenses, along with specific usage cases.

How to form Konjunktiv II in the present tense

a. Without the auxiliary verb "würde"

Indikativ	Präteritum	Umlaut	Konjunktiv II
kommen	kam	a → ä	käme
können	konnte	o → ö	könnte
wissen	wusste	u → ü	wüsste

NOTE ⚠️

The above Konjunktiv II forms (so-called "klassische Konjunktivformen") are harder to remember and less common, so people prefer using the alternative way below. But read through this so you can recognize them in reading and listening!

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b. Using the auxiliary verb "würde" (alternative way)

Structure: ==würde + Infinitiv==

Pronomen	Hilfsverb "würde"	Infinitiv
ich, er, sie, es	würde	gehen
du	würdest	gehen
ihr	würdet	gehen
wir, sie, Sie	würden	gehen

Example:

• Ich würde nach Paris kommen.
• Wir würden gerne ins Kino gehen.

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c. Special verbs

The following verbs must be used in the "klassische Konjunktivformen" form (i.e. not with würde + Infinitiv).

sein / haben:

Präteritum	ich/er/sie/es	du	ihr	wir/sie/Sie
war	wäre	wär**(e)**st	wär**(e)**t	wären
hatte	hätte	hättest	hättet	hätten

NOTE ⚠️

The (e) can be omitted in the 2nd person singular and plural: du wärest or du wärst - ihr wäret or ihr wärt.

Example:

• Ich wäre gern reich und schön.
• Ich hätte gern einen Sportwagen.

Six modal verbs:

Präteritum	ich/er/sie/es	du	ihr	wir/sie/Sie
durfte	dürfte	dürftest	dürftet	dürften
konnte	könnte	könntest	könntet	könnten
mochte	möchte	möchtest	möchtet	möchten
musste	müsste	müsstest	müsstet	müssten
sollte	sollte	solltest	solltet	sollten
wollte	wollte	wolltest	wolltet	wollten

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How to form Konjunktiv II in the past tense

a. Without modal verbs

Structure: Same as in the Perfekt tense, but the auxiliaries sein/haben are in Konjunktiv II.
Meaning: Should have ...

	Hilfsverb		Partizip II
Ich	hätte	as a teacher	gearbeitet.
Ich	wäre	to the USA	gefahren.

b. With modal verbs

Structure: S + hätte + Infinitiv Vollverb + Infinitiv Modalverb.
Meaning: Should have been able to/should have had to ...

	Konjunktiv II von haben	Infinitiv Vollverb	Infinitiv Modalverb
ich	hätte	gehen	müssen
du	hättest	gehen	können
er/sie/es	hätte	gehen	dürfen
wir	hätten	gehen	sollen
ihr	hättet	gehen	wollen
sie/Sie	hätten	gehen	können

NOTE ⚠️

When a modal verb appears, the auxiliary is always hätten, even if the main verb would normally take sein (wären) in the Perfekt tense.

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Detailed use cases of Konjunktiv II

Polite requests and questions

Meaning: Could you ...?, Could I ...?

Konjugiertes Verb			Infinitiv
Könnten	Sie	please	help?
Würden	Sie	please	explain?
Dürfte	ich	ask you something	ask?
Wären	Sie	so kind as to ask the colleagues?
Hätten	Sie	a moment for me?

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Suggestions

Suggestions with modal verbs: "könnten + Infinitiv"

Meaning: We could ...

	könnte		Infinitiv
Wir	könnten	go to the cinema	gehen.
Du	könntest	celebrate the party at a restaurant	feiern.

Regrets or blame: "hätten + Infinitiv + können"

Meaning: We could have ...

	hätte		Infinitiv	können
Wir	hätten	to the cinema	gehen	können,	but you came too late.

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Advice

Situation:
Klaus works too much. He therefore has strong headaches. On the weekend he was completely exhausted.

Advice with modal verbs

Meaning: You should ...

	Modalverben		Infinitiv
Du	solltest	work less	arbeiten.
Du	müsstest	take a break	machen.
Du	könntest	hand over some tasks	abgeben.

Advice without modal verbs

Meaning: It would be better if ...

Hauptsatz	Nebensatz		Konjugiertes Verb
It would be better,	if	you worked less	würdest.

Opinions

Meaning: If I were you, I would ...

	Konjugiertes Verb
In your place	würde	I	not work so much.

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Wishes

Meaning: I would like ...

	Konjugiertes Verb	Forms of "gern"		Infinitiv
Ich	wäre	gerne	rich and beautiful.
Er	hätte	lieber	a walk in the park.
Wir	würden	am liebsten	laze around all day.

RULE 📌

Always use gern/lieber/am liebsten in wish expressions!

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Unreal wishes

Meaning: If only ...

wenn		doch/nur/bloß		Partizip II	Konjugiertes Verb
Wenn	he	doch	were a bit more patient		wäre!
Wenn	my parents	doch nur	were a bit more tolerant	gewesen	hätte!
Wenn	Marie	bloß	finally had a bigger flat		hätte!
Wenn	I	doch	had a bit more luck	gehabt	hätte!

RULE 📌

• The particles doch/nur/bloß are mandatory in irreale Wunschsätze and usually stand after the subject.
• If it's an irreale Wunschsatz, the wenn-clause stands alone (no main clause needed) and ends with (!).

Sentence starting with conjugated verb

Konjugiertes Verb		doch/nur/bloß		Partizip II
Wären	the children	doch	a bit quieter!
Hätte	I him	doch nur	not given the car	gegeben!
Würde	my friend	bloß	finally	call!

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Unreal conditions

Comparison between reality and assumption:

• Reality: Ich bin noch nicht 18. Deshalb darf ich noch nicht Motorrad fahren.
  Assumption: If I were already 18, I could ride a motorbike.
• Reality: Ich bin arbeitslos. Deswegen habe ich Schulden.
  Assumption: If I weren't unemployed, I wouldn't have debts.

NOTE ⚠️

Since these are unreal situations, negative statements in reality become positive in assumptions and vice versa.

a. Present

Meaning: If ..., then ...

Nebensatz			Hauptsatz
Wenn	I got the job	bekommen würde,	(then) I would have more money.
Würde	I get the job	bekommen,	(then) I would have more money.
Wenn	I could get the job	bekommen könnte,	(then) I could afford more.

b. Past

Meaning: If ..., then ...

Nebensatz			Hauptsatz
Wenn	I had gotten the job	bekommen hätte,	(then) I would have had more money.
Hätte	I gotten the job	bekommen,	(then) I would have had more money.
Hätte	I could have gotten the job	bekommen können,	(then) I could have afforded more.

Note: Both Nebensatz and Hauptsatz use Konjunktiv II.

c. Alternatives

Konjunktiv II	Adverb
If my boss hadn't engaged me in a long conversation, I would have been on time.	My boss engaged me in a long conversation. Otherwise I would have been on time. Or: Therefore I wasn't on time.

without - with	Even if
Without his money I couldn't have traveled the world.	Even if we had won the game, we wouldn't have advanced to the next round.
With a lot of money I could fulfill all my dreams.	Even if she had received the invitation, she probably wouldn't have come.

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Unreal consequences

Meaning: Too ... to ...

Hauptsatz			Nebensatz
			Connector		Verb
The route is	too	long,	for that	one on foot	would manage.
This car is	too	expensive,	for that	I	would have.
He was	too	tired,	for that	he could still	have concentrated.

Alternatives

Konjunktiv II	The problem is too complex for it to be discussed over lunch.
zu + um … zu + Infinitiv	The problem is too complex to discuss it over lunch.
so … dass (Indikativ)	The problem is so complex that one cannot discuss it over lunch.

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Unreal comparisons

a. Main clause - subordinate clause

Meaning: As if ...

Hauptsatz	Nebensatz
	Connector		Infinitiv / Partizip II	konj. Verb
You run,	as if	the police	were chasing	would.
He eats,	as if	he hadn't gotten anything	to eat for a week	had.

b. Main clause - main clause

Meaning: As if ...

Hauptsatz	Hauptsatz
	Connector	konj. Verb		Infinitiv / Partizip II
You run,	as	would	the police	be chasing.
He eats,	as	had	he hadn't gotten anything	to eat for a week.