The Subjunctive in German

The Subjunctive in German Konjunktiv I und II The German subjunctive mood (der Konjunktiv) comes in two varieties: (1) Subjunctive I (present subjunctive) and (2) Subjunctive II (past subjunctive). Despite their nicknames, it is important to understand that the subjunctive (in English or German) is a verb mood, not a verb tense. Both the so-called past and present subjunctive forms can be used in various tenses in German. What Is the Konjunktiv? What does the subjunctive actually do? Youll find subjunctive verb forms and expressions in almost any language, including English and German. The subjunctive mood is designed to convey a message. The message can vary, but the subjunctive is telling you that a statement is not just a plain fact (the indicative mood), that there may be some doubt, or something is contrary to reality. In English, when we say, If I were you... the verb form were is subjunctive and it conveys a message: I am not you, but... (The indicative form would be the rather unlikely I am you.) Other examples of the subjunctive in English: If we only had the money, we could...That would be a crazy thing to do.God save the Queen!They insist that she go.Be that as it may.He said he would not do that. Notice that in the examples above the words would and could often turn up. Its the same in German. In all of the examples given, the verb takes on an unusual form, different from the normal conjugation. Its the same in German. For instance, the indicative (normal) form would be God saves rather than God save. Instead of indicative she goes, we see she go in the subjunctive. In German, the Konjunktiv is also formed by altering the verb conjugation in some way. Which of the two subjunctive forms is more important for students learning German? Both of course! But the Subjunctive II is used more in conversational German than Subjunctive I. In fact, the past subjunctive is very common in daily German. It is found in many common expressions (ich mà ¶chte..., I would like...) and is used to express doubt or politeness. But well discuss all that when we get to the Subjunctive II lesson. Lets start with number one, the somewhat easier Subjunctive I. Konjunktiv I - The Quotative - Present Subjunctive In general, the Subjunctive I (present subjunctive) is used mostly for the so-called quotative or indirect speech (indirekte  Rede). It is heard or seen less and less frequently in modern German, with the important exception of news stories on radio and TV and in the newspaper. Sometimes the Subjunctive II is also used for indirect speech, usually when the Subjunctive I form is not obviously different from the indicative form. Recognize It When You See It! Since the Subjunctive I is encountered primarily in a passive way - in print or in TV/radio news, it is not necessary for most German-learners to learn how to produce it. It is more important to recognize it when you see it or hear it  because the subjunctive is sending a message you need to understand. What message? Generally the  Konjunktiv I  is telling you that someone said something that may or may not be true. For instance, in a news feature a newspaper may report what someone said, using the Subjunctive I: Der Nachbar  sagte, die Dame  lebe  schon  lnger  im  Dorf. The normal present tense conjugation is die Dame  lebt, but the subjunctive form die Dame  lebe tells us that this what someone said. The reporter/newspaper is not (legally) responsible for the truth of the statement. When you read the news in German or hear it on the radio, this so-called indirect speech (indirekte  Rede)  is a form of  indirect  quotation that says, in effect, thats what we were told but we cant vouch for the accuracy of the statement. The other terms sometimes used for the Subjunctive I also say something about its use: the quotative, indirect discourse, indirect speech. Other Uses The Subjunctive I is also used in formal or technical writing and in directions or recipes to express propositions or instructions: Technical: Hier  sei  nur  vermerkt, dass... (Here let it only be noted that...)Recipe: Man  nehme  100 Gramm Zucker,  zwei  Eier... (Take 100 g of sugar, two eggs...)Slogan: Es  lebe  der Kà ¶nig! (Long live the king!) Conjugating the Subjunctive I Many  German grammar  books or  verb guides  will list full subjunctive conjugations, but in practice, you really only need to know the  third person singular  forms most of the time. The Subjunctive I is almost always found in the third-person form:  er  habe  (he has),  sie sei  (she is),  er  komme  (hes coming), or  sie wisse  (she knows). This -e  ending (except for to be) rather than the normal -t  ending in the German third person is your clue to indirect quotation. The other non-third-person forms are rarely if ever used, so dont bother with them! Similarityto Command Forms The basic Subjunctive I form of a verb is usually identical to its imperative or command form. Although there are some exceptions, the third person singular subjunctive and the familiar (du) command forms often look alike:  Er  habe/Habe Geduld!  (Have patience!),  Sie  gehe/Geh(e)!  (Go!), or  Er sei/Sei  brav!  (Be good!). This is also true for the  wir-commands (lets, we-commands):  Seien  wir  vorsichtig!  (Lets be cautious!) or  Gehen  wir!  (Lets go!). For more about the command forms in German, see  Lesson 11  of German for Beginners. But remember, unless youre writing for a German newspaper or magazine, you dont need to be able to write or say the Subjunctive I forms. You only need to recognize them when you see them in print or hear them.