Der Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit – The Past Subjunctive II
The subjunctive mood in the past tense is used for hypothetical statements and conditionals (if, what if…).
| Ach Mensch! Wenn der blöde Nachbar Schneewittchen nicht vorbeigekommen wäre, hätte ich nie ein Bier getrunken. | Oh man! If that stupid neighbor hadn’t come by Snow White, I would never have drank a beer. |
Forming the past subjunctive: Konjunktiv II
Konjunktiv II in the past tense can be formulated in three ways:
- with hätte + participle
- with hätte + modal verb infinitive + verb infinitive
- with wäre + participle
1. Past subjunctive with hätte
The past tense subjunctive is formed with the subjunctive form of hätte (conjugated according to the subject) plus a participle if the original verb (now in the participle form) forms the past tense with the haben. It is also used with all modal verbs in the past subjunctive.
| Eva | Wenn ich nur gegessen hätte! | If only I had eaten! |
| Torben | Wenn wir gegessen hätten, hätten wir nichts gefunden! | If we had eaten, we wouldn’t have found anything! |
| Eva | Ja, aber dann hätte ich einen vollen Bauch gehabt. | Yes, but then I would have had a full stomach. |
| past subjunctive | english | |
| ich hätte gefunden | I | would have found |
| du hättest gefunden | you | |
| er/sie/es hätte gefunden | he/she/it | |
| wir hätten gefunden | we | |
| ihr hättet gefunden | you | |
| sie hätten gefunden | they | |
2. Past subjunctive with modal verbs
hätte is also the auxiliary verb in combination with the modal verbs: dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen, wollen, and to express politeness or describe hypothetical situations.
In general declarative sentences, the conjugated form of hätte comes in the second position, and the two verbs (the infinitive of the original verb + the infinitive of the modal verb) come at the end of the sentence. However, in subordinate clauses, the two infinitives still come at the end of the clause, preceded immediately by the conjugated form of hätte.
| Dietrich | Ich hätte nicht einschlafen sollen! | I should not have fallen asleep! |
| Wolfgang | Du hättest diesmal nicht fahren können! So müde warst du! | You would not have been able to drive! You were so tired! |
3. Past subjunctive with wäre
The past tense subjunctive is formed with a conjugated form of wäre plus a participle if the original verb (now in the participle form) forms the past tense with sein.
| Maria | Wenn ich nicht weggelaufen wäre, hätte ich euch nicht getroffen! | If I hadn’t run away, I would not have met you guys! |
| Ralf | Ja, und ich wäre nicht nach Bremen ohne dich gekommen. | Yes, and I wouldn’t have came to Bremen without you. |
| die Katze | Ja, und wir wären nicht Freunde geworden. | Yes, and we would not have became friends. |
| past subjunctive | english | |
| ich wäre gekommen | I | would have came |
| du wärest gekommen | you | |
| er/sie/es wäre gekommen | he/she/it | |
| wir wären gekommen | we | |
| ihr wäret gekommen | you | |
| sie wären gekommen | they | |
