How do you use the conditional tense in German?

Konjunktiv II (also known as the subjunctive II) is a verb form which can be used for conditional statements, to express uncertainty, contrary-to-fact statements and polite requests.
To use Konjunktiv II in the present tense, we use [würde + infinitive]. For example, "Ich würde essen" (I would eat).
To use Konjunktiv II in the past tense, we use the subjunctive form of "haben" and "sein" ("hätten" and "wären") and the past participle of the main verb. For example, "Ich habe Deutsch gelernt" (I have learnt German) becomes "Ich hätte Deutsch gelernt" (I would have learnt German).OR "Ich bin nach Amerika gefahren" (I have flown to America) becomes "Ich wäre nach Amerika gefahren" (I would have flown to America.
Remember - we use "sein" (thus "wären") when the verb indicates movement or a change in a state of being.

EM
Answered by Ellie M. German tutor

2591 Views

See similar German GCSE tutors

Related German GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How would you form the perfect tense?


Spanish GCSE Question: Difference between SER and ESTAR.


Which statement is correct? A) The writer is planning a holiday. B) The writer was completely satisfied with the hotel. C) The hotel was not as good as the writer had hoped.


What are reflexive verbs and how do I use them?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning