sentences

For other verbs, especially weak verbs, the CONDITIONAL form with würde plus the infinitive is usually preferred, especially in spoken German.

7.11 Subjunctive II:conditional sentences

The main use of subjunctive IIin German – in the spoken language as well as in writing – is to indicate unreal or hypothetical conditions, typically in conditional sentences with wenn (if):

In German, forms of subjunctiveII are used in both the if-clause and the main clause. Either the past subjunctive or the conditional form can be used in either clause, depending on the verb used (i.e. the ‘past subjunctive’ with common verbs, the ‘conditional’ with less common, or weak verbs, as explained above).

Wenn ich Zeit hätte, käme ich gern mit. If I had time I would gladly accompany you. Wenn wir Zeit hätten, könnten wir einen Ausflug machen. If we had time we could go on an excursion. Die Europäer wären erleichtert, wenn England wieder austreten würde. The Europeans would be relieved if England pulled out/were to pull out again. Wir würden es begrüßen, wenn Sie uns besuchen könnten. We would welcome it if you could visit us. Wenn ich im Lotto gewinnen würde, würde ich eine Villa in Italien kaufen. If I won/were to win the jackpot, I would buy a villa in Italy.

To express a hypothetical possibility in the past, the pluperfect subjunctive is used:

Wenn wir schneller gefahren wären, If we had driven faster we would hätten wir die Fähre erreicht. have reached the ferry. Wenn sie den Zug verpasst hätte, If she had missed the train she would hätte sie uns sicher angerufen. certainly have called us.

Generally, subjunctiveII is used to show that the condition is unreal or hypothetical, though conditional sentences may take other forms, like those below.

Wenn can be omitted:

Hätte ich Zeit,(so) käme ich gern mit. If I had time, I’d love to come with you. Wäre Rotkäppchen zu Hause geblieben, If Little Red Riding Hood had stayed at home, (so) hätte der Wolf es nicht gefressen. the wolf would not have eaten her.