Konjunktiv 2 Basics
You have heard about the dreaded Konjunktiv 2 before in your German lessons. People say it is one of the most difficult things to learn in the entire German language. It seems like an insurmountable hurdle towards German fluency, but in reality, it isn’t really that bad.
In order to make this as painless as possible, I’m going to split my lessons about the Konjunktiv 2 into several lessons. Today’s lesson will explain how to use the easiest version of the Konjunktiv 2 using our old friend “werden”. In future lessons I’ll explain how to use “haben” and “sein”, modal verbs and common irregular verbs.
So grab your notebook and pen and let’s unravel this wicked web of weirdness together.
All Konjunktiv 1 & Konjunktiv 2 Lessons
Konjunktiv 2 Basics with würden
Konjunktiv 2 with hätte & wäre
Konjunktiv 2 with Special Verbs
Konjunktiv 2 Listening Comprehension - Alternative Realities
Polite Requests with Konjunktiv 2 - Konjunktiv 2 Listening Comprehension
What is Konjunktiv 2?
In case you didn’t read my article about the differences between Konjunktiv 1 and Konjunktiv 2, first of all, shame on you. How do you plan to climb to the top of mount fluency without a guide to show you the easiest path?
And second of all, the Konjunktiv 2 is used to express things that are contrary to reality. Often this means that you are expressing dreams, hopes, wishes and things of that nature, but this is more of a happy little accident, as the real purpose of the Konjunktiv 2 is just to show that whatever you are expressing is not reality.
How to Form Konjunktiv 2 with "werden"
The easiest way to create the Konjunktiv 2 is to use “werden”. You may recognize this verb from your lessons about the future tense in German. In the Konjunktiv 2, you use it in exactly the same way, but with different conjugated forms.
What I mean by that is there will likely be a secondary verb in the infinitive form at the end of the sentence. Before we get to examples, however, let’s see the conjugation forms we need to use with Konjunktiv 2.
ich würde - I would
du würdest - you would
er, sie, es würde - he, she, it would
wir würden - we would
ihr würdet - you would
sie, Sie würden - they, you would
Examples Using Konjunktiv 2 with "würde"
Once you know which forms of the verb to use, you can start putting it together with sentences like these.
Ich würde ins Kino gehen, aber ich habe kein Geld. -
I would go to the movie theater, but I have no money.
Welches Lied würdest du in einer Karaoke-Bar singen? -
Which song would you sing in a karaoke bar?
Superman würde Batman nicht besiegen. -
Superman would not beat Batman.
Wir würden keinen Nachtisch teilen können. -
We would not be able to share a dessert.
Was würdet ihr zuerst lernen? -
What would you learn first?
Die Kinder würden den ganzen Kuchen essen. -
The children would eat the entire cake.
Using Konjunktiv 2 to Express Politeness
You can also use the Konjunktiv 2 with “würden” to express politeness. For example:
Würdest du bitte die Tür zumachen?-
Would you please close the door?
Würdet ihr bitte nicht so laut reden? -
Would you please not talk so loudly?
Würden Sie mir ein Glas Wasser bringen? -
Would you bring me a glass of water?
Ich würde gerne einen Vorschlag machen. -
I would like to make a suggestion.
Würden Sie mir bitte einen Daumen hoch geben? -
Would you give me a thumbs up?
Würdest du etwas in die Kommentare schreiben? -
Would you write something in the comments?
Würdest du bitte meinen Kanal abonnieren? -
Would you please subscribe to my channel?
Words of Caution About Konjunktiv 2 with würde
Hopefully these examples make it clear exactly how to form sentences using “werden” in Konjunktiv 2, but there are a few words of caution that I need to mention.
While it is possible to use “würden” with “haben” and “sein”, it is more common to simply use the Konjunktiv 2 forms of these verbs instead.
Ich würde zehntausend Dollar haben. -
I would have ten thousand dollars.
vs
Ich hätte zehntausend Dollar. -
I would have ten thousand dollars.
or
Ich würde Millionär sein. -
I would be a millionaire.
vs
Ich wäre Millionär. -
I would be a millionaire.
It is also more common to use the actual Konjunktiv 2 versions of certain irregular verbs.
Er würde die Antwort wissen. -
He would know the answer.
vs
Er wüsste die Antwort. -
He would know the answer.
Most people would rather say “wüsste” than “würde… wissen”.
All of the examples I have given today use Konjunktiv 2 to express something in the present or a possible future. The use of würde to form the Konjunktiv 2 is only really available to express present or future tenses. In order to express the past, you will need to formulate your sentences very differently.
If you want to learn how to do that or any other topic about the Konjunktiv 2, check out the links below.
All Konjunktiv 1 & Konjunktiv 2 Lessons
Konjunktiv 2 Basics with würden
Konjunktiv 2 with hätte & wäre
Konjunktiv 2 with Special Verbs
Konjunktiv 2 Listening Comprehension - Alternative Realities
Polite Requests with Konjunktiv 2 - Konjunktiv 2 Listening Comprehension
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