Bildung Konjunktiv 1 Und 2

The German Konjunktiv, often translated as the subjunctive mood, expresses possibility, doubt, indirect speech, politeness, and hypothetical situations. It's a crucial aspect of German grammar and mastering it will significantly improve your comprehension and fluency. There are two main forms: Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II.

Konjunktiv I (Subjunctive I)

The Konjunktiv I is primarily used for indirect speech (indirekte Rede). It indicates that you are reporting what someone else said or thought, without necessarily agreeing with it. This creates a distance between the speaker and the reported statement.

Formation of Konjunktiv I

The Konjunktiv I is formed from the infinitive stem of the verb, to which you add specific endings. The endings are as follows:

ich - e
du - est
er/sie/es - e
wir - en
ihr - et
sie/Sie - en

Here are some examples with the verb sein (to be) and haben (to have):

Sein:

ich sei
du seiest
er/sie/es sei
wir seien
ihr seiet
sie/Sie seien

Haben:

ich habe
du habest
er/sie/es habe
wir haben
ihr habet
sie/Sie haben

And with the verb gehen (to go):

ich gehe
du gehest
er/sie/es gehe
wir gehen
ihr gehet
sie/Sie gehen

Important Notes:

The 1st and 3rd person singular forms (ich and er/sie/es) are identical to the Präsens (present tense) forms for most verbs. To avoid ambiguity, the Konjunktiv II or a substitute phrase is often used (see below).
For verbs with stem changes in the present tense (e.g., sprechen - to speak), these changes are not retained in the Konjunktiv I. For example, the Konjunktiv I of sprechen is: ich spreche, du sprechest, er/sie/es spreche, etc.
Some irregular verbs have irregular Konjunktiv I forms. These are generally listed in comprehensive grammar resources.

Usage of Konjunktiv I

The primary use of Konjunktiv I is in indirect speech. It indicates that you are reporting someone else's statement. Look at the following examples:

Direct Speech: Er sagte: "Ich bin müde." (He said: "I am tired.")

Indirect Speech: Er sagte, er sei müde. (He said he was tired.)

Direct Speech: Sie denkt: "Ich werde gewinnen." (She thinks: "I will win.")

Indirect Speech: Sie denkt, sie werde gewinnen. (She thinks she will win.)

When the Konjunktiv I form is identical to the Präsens, the Konjunktiv II or the auxiliary verb würde + infinitive is used to avoid confusion. For example:

Instead of: Er sagte, er gehe nach Hause. (which is the same as the present tense)

You would use: Er sagte, er ginge nach Hause. (Konjunktiv II) or Er sagte, er würde nach Hause gehen.

Konjunktiv I is also sometimes used to express wishes or commands, particularly in formal contexts, news reports, or public announcements. For example:

Man nehme 200g Mehl... (Take 200g of flour... - in a recipe)

Gott sei Dank! (Thank God!)

Konjunktiv II (Subjunctive II)

The Konjunktiv II is used to express hypothetical situations, unreal conditions, polite requests, and suggestions. It's often translated using "would" in English.

Formation of Konjunktiv II

The Konjunktiv II is generally formed in one of two ways:

From the Präteritum (simple past) stem: You take the Präteritum stem of the verb, add an umlaut to the stem vowel if possible (a, o, u become ä, ö, ü), and then add the Konjunktiv II endings.
With the auxiliary verb würde + infinitive: This is used when the Präteritum stem doesn't allow for an umlaut or when the Konjunktiv II form based on the Präteritum is considered too archaic or awkward.

The Konjunktiv II endings are as follows:

ich - e
du - est
er/sie/es - e
wir - en
ihr - et
sie/Sie - en

Here are some examples, using the Präteritum stem where possible:

Sein (to be): Präteritum: war -> Konjunktiv II: wäre

ich wäre
du wärest
er/sie/es wäre
wir wären
ihr wäret
sie/Sie wären

Haben (to have): Präteritum: hatte -> Konjunktiv II: hätte

ich hätte
du hättest
er/sie/es hätte
wir hätten
ihr hättet
sie/Sie hätten

Gehen (to go): Präteritum: ging -> Konjunktiv II: ginge

ich ginge
du gingest
er/sie/es ginge
wir gingen
ihr ginget
sie/Sie gingen

Machen (to do/make): Präteritum: machte -> Konjunktiv II: machte (no umlaut possible, so also würde machen)

ich machte (or: ich würde machen)
du machtest (or: du würdest machen)
er/sie/es machte (or: er/sie/es würde machen)
wir machten (or: wir würden machen)
ihr machtet (or: ihr würdet machen)
sie/Sie machten (or: sie/Sie würden machen)

Important Notes:

For weak verbs (regular verbs), the Präteritum and therefore the Konjunktiv II are often the same as the Präteritum. In these cases, würde + infinitive is often preferred to avoid ambiguity.
For modal verbs (können, dürfen, müssen, sollen, wollen, mögen), the Konjunktiv II is formed by adding an umlaut to the stem vowel and the standard endings. For example: können -> könnte.
Würde is itself a Konjunktiv II form of the verb werden.

Usage of Konjunktiv II

The Konjunktiv II is used in several important contexts:

Hypothetical Situations and Unreal Conditions (Irreale Konditionalsätze): This is the most common use. It describes what would happen under certain conditions.

Wenn ich Zeit hätte, würde ich ins Kino gehen. (If I had time, I would go to the cinema.)

Wenn es nicht regnen würde, gingen wir spazieren. (If it weren't raining, we would go for a walk.)

Polite Requests and Suggestions: Konjunktiv II makes requests and suggestions sound more polite and less direct.

Hätten Sie vielleicht einen Moment Zeit? (Would you perhaps have a moment?) - more polite than "Haben Sie einen Moment Zeit?"

Ich hätte gern eine Tasse Kaffee. (I would like a cup of coffee.)

Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? (Could you please help me?)

Indirect Speech (as a substitute for Konjunktiv I): As mentioned earlier, when the Konjunktiv I form is identical to the Präsens, the Konjunktiv II is used for indirect speech to avoid ambiguity.

Er sagte, er ginge nach Hause. (He said he was going home.)

To express wishes:

Wenn ich doch nur reich wäre! (If only I were rich!)

To express suppositions and doubt:

Das wäre möglich. (That would be possible.)

Würde + Infinitive vs. Konjunktiv II (using the Präteritum stem)

While the würde + infinitive construction is often used as a substitute for the Konjunktiv II (derived from the Präteritum), there are some nuances:

Simplicity: Würde + infinitive is generally easier to form, especially for beginners.
Ambiguity Avoidance: It helps avoid ambiguity when the Präteritum and Konjunktiv II forms are identical, especially for weak verbs.
Style: Using the Konjunktiv II form directly can sound more elegant and sophisticated, particularly in formal writing or speech. However, overuse can also sound archaic.
Common Usage: Certain verbs are almost always used in the Konjunktiv II directly, such as wäre, hätte, könnte, müsste, sollte, and dürfte. Using würde with these verbs can sound awkward in many cases.

Conclusion

The Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II are essential for understanding and expressing nuanced meanings in German. While the Konjunktiv I is primarily used for indirect speech, the Konjunktiv II allows you to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, and wishes. Understanding the formation and usage of both forms will greatly enhance your German language skills and enable you to communicate more effectively and accurately.

Learning the Konjunktiv takes time and practice. Don't be discouraged if you find it challenging at first. Focus on understanding the basic principles and practice using the different forms in context. With consistent effort, you will master this crucial aspect of German grammar.