20.8. Basic German Verbs: Verb Conjugation in the Conditional

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20.8. Basic German Verbs: Verb Conjugation in the Conditional

German, like many other languages, has a variety of tenses that are used to express different states of being or actions. One of these verb tenses is the conditional, which is used to express hypothetical or unrealized actions. In this chapter, we are going to explore the conjugation of the conditional verbs in German.

Conditional Conditional Training in German

The conditional in German is formed in two ways: with the auxiliary 'würden' plus the infinitive of the verb, or with the verb in the past tense plus a suffix. Let's start with the first shape.

Conditional with 'würden'

To form the conditional with 'würden', you need the auxiliary verb 'würden' plus the infinitive of the main verb. 'Würden' is the conditional form of the verb 'werden' (to become), and is conjugated as follows:

Ich würde - I would be
Du würdest - You would be
Er/Sie/Es würde - He/She would be
Wir würden - We would be
Ihr würdet - You would be
Sie/sie würden - They/They would be

For example, the sentence "I would go to the cinema" would be translated as "Ich würde ins Kino gehen", where 'würde' is the auxiliary and 'gehen' is the infinitive of the main verb.

Conditional with verb in past tense plus suffix

Some German verbs form the conditional by adding a suffix to the verb in the past tense. This suffix is ​​'-te' for regular verbs and '-e' for irregular verbs. For example, the verb 'sagen' (to say) in the past tense is 'sagte', and the conditional is 'sagte' plus the suffix '-te', resulting in 'sagte-te'. The verb 'sehen' (to see) is irregular, so the past tense is 'sah', and the conditional is 'sah' plus the suffix '-e', resulting in 'sähe'.

Using the Conditional in German

The conditional in German is used to express hypothetical or unrealized actions. For example, the sentence "If I were rich, I would travel the world" would be translated as "Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich die Welt bereisen". Here, 'wäre' is the conditional of the verb 'sein' (to be), and 'würde...bereisen' is the conditional of the verb 'bereisen' (to travel).

Also, the conditional is used to make requests or suggestions in a polite manner. For example, the phrase "Could you pass me the salt?" would be translated as "Könnten Sie mir das Salz reichen?". Here, 'Könnten' is the conditional of the verb 'können' (power).

In short, the conditional is an important tense in German that allows you to express hypothetical or unrealized actions, as well as make polite requests or suggestions. By learning to form and use the conditional, you will be able to express a wide range of ideas in German.

Practice

Now that you've learned how to form and use the conditional in German, it's time to practice. Try translating the following sentences into German:

1. If I had time, I would read more books.
2. Could you help me with this?
3. If we won the lottery, we would buy a house.
4. I would like some coffee, please.
5. If they came to the party, it would be fun.

Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep practicing the conjugation of the verbs in the conditional and you will become more and more fluent in German.

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2920.9. Basic Verbs in German: Conjugation of Verbs in the Imperative