Conditional tenses in German are used to talk about hypothetical situations, wishes, or polite requests. German expresses these ideas using a form called the Konditional, which is created with the auxiliary verb würden plus the infinitive. There are two main forms: Konjunktiv II for past hypotheticals and the würden construction for most conditional statements.
German does not have a simple future conditional form. Instead, it uses the present conditional (using würden + infinitive) for most conditional sentences, along with past subjunctive (Konjunktiv II) for talking about unreal past conditions.
Forming the Conditional (Konditional)
The Konditional is formed using würden + infinitive. This is called the würden-Konditional.
Example:
- Ich würde gehen. (I would go.)
You can use this with any verb by conjugating würden and then adding the infinitive verb at the end.
| Pronoun | Verb Form | Example (gehen) | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | würde gehen | Ich würde gehen. | I would go. |
| du | würdest gehen | Du würdest gehen. | You would go. |
| er/sie/es | würde gehen | Er würde gehen. | He would go. |
| wir | würden gehen | Wir würden gehen. | We would go. |
| ihr | würdet gehen | Ihr würdet gehen. | You all would go. |
| sie/Sie | würden gehen | Sie würden gehen. | They/You (formal) would go. |
Using the Past Konjunktiv II (Plusquamperfekt)
To talk about hypothetical past situations ("would have done"), German uses the Konjunktiv II forms of haben or sein plus the past participle. These are used for unreal past conditions.
Example:
- Ich hätte gegessen. (I would have eaten.)
- Er wäre gegangen. (He would have gone.)
This form shows that something could have happened but did not.
Usage and Examples
Hypothetical / Unreal Situations
Use the würden + infinitive form to talk about something that is unlikely or imagined.
- Was würdest du machen, wenn du mehr Zeit hättest?
(What would you do if you had more time?)
Polite Requests
Using würden makes requests sound more polite.
- Würden Sie mir bitte helfen?
(Would you please help me?)
Wishes
Use würden to express wishes in a polite or hypothetical way.
- Ich wünschte, ich würde mehr reisen.
(I wish I would travel more.)
Unreal Past Conditions
Use past Konjunktiv II to talk about what would have happened.
- Wenn ich früher aufgestanden wäre, hätte ich den Zug nicht verpasst.
(If I had gotten up earlier, I wouldn’t have missed the train.)
Summary
- Use würden + infinitive for most conditional sentences (Konditional I).
- Use Konjunktiv II plus past participle (hätte/sein + Partizip II) for unreal past conditions (Konditional II).
- Konditional is used for hypotheticals, polite requests, and wishes.
Now you can express a wide range of conditional ideas in German!
Which auxiliary verb do you always use for forming the 'would' construction in German conditional sentences?
würden
German uses 'würden' as the auxiliary verb to express the conditional mood in the present, followed by an infinitive verb.
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- Pronoun: ich
- Verb Form: würde gehen
- Example (gehen): Ich würde gehen.
- English Example: I would go.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
