All About German Subjunctive I  – Learn Easy Way / Konjunktiv I

In this lesson, you will learn all about the German Subjunctive I. We will cover what subjunctive I is, how it is formed, when it can be used, and how it is applied in the past tense. German has two subjunctive conjugation patterns, known as subjunctive I and subjunctive II. By the end of this lesson, you will have a clear understanding of how to use and construct subjunctive I and how to translate it into your language.

CONTENTS

What is the subjunctive?
How is the subjunctive I formed?
When is the Subjunctive I used?
How is the Subjunctive I used for the past tense?

What is the Subjunctive in German?

German has two subjunctive forms of the verb, called Subjunctive I and Subjunctive II. They are used to describe actions or states which might happen or which are reported to have happened.

The subjunctive forms are used in the following contexts:

Subjunctive I is used most often in reported speech.

Subjunctive II is used in contexts where there is a suggestion that the event described by the verb may not or did not happen. Subjunctive II can also substitute for Subjunctive I in reported speech.

How is the Subjunctive I formed?

This pattern of conjugation is known as the present subjunctive because verbs conjugated in this manner resemble those in the present tense. However, the endings in subjunctive I differ slightly from those in the present tense. The endings in subjunctive I are -e, -est, -e, -en, -et, -en. Let’s examine some example verbs conjugated in subjunctive I.

There is no distinction in the conjugations between regular or irregular verbs, nor in verbs with prefixes. This applies to the vast majority of verbs. Modal auxiliaries, in particular, have subjunctive I conjugations derived directly from their infinitive forms.

Note that the conjugation of the first-person plural (wir) and the third-person plural (sie) is the same as in the indicative present tense. This detail will be an important fact later on.

Three verbs require special attention due to their significant roles in German: haben (to have), sein (to be), and werden (to become). Let’s examine their conjugations in subjunctive I.

When is the Subjunctive I used?

In German, subjunctive I conjugations are used in indirect speech, which is its primary role. Let’s examine examples that illustrate the difference between direct and indirect speech.

direct: Alex: „Er spricht mit der Lehrerin.“  Alex: „He speaks to the teacher.“
indirect: Alex sagte, dass er mit der Lehrerin spreche. Alex said that he speaks to the teacher.

direct: Alex: „Er sprach mit der Lehrerin. Alex: „He spoke to the teacher.“
indirect: Alex sagte, dass er mit der Lehrerin gesprochen habe. – Alex said that he spoke to the teacher.

In the example given earlier, you’ll observe that the simple past tense is rendered in a present perfect structure in indirect speech. This adjustment helps to prevent confusion with the present tense when using indirect speech.

Indirect questions are introduced by the conjunction “ob” (whether) or other interrogatives employed as a subordinating conjunction.

direct: Spricht er mit der Lehrerin.
indirect: Alex fragte, ob er mit der Lehrerin spreche.

direct: Wer spricht mit der Lehrerin?
indirect: Alex fragte, wer  mit der Lehrerin spreche.

If the subjunctive I and the present indicative (form of the verb in the present tense) do not differ, we use the subjunctive II.

When the subjunctive I and the indicative present tense are not distinct, subjunctive II is used instead.For example:

Note the red color in the table: the verb “kommen” in the 1st person singular and in the 1st and 3rd person plural appears the same in both the indicative and subjunctive I moods. In these instances, subjunctive II is used INSTEAD of subjunctive I.

For example:
Sie sagen, sie kämen im Büro spät an. (umesto: kommen)

Here you can practice subjunctive I:

deutsch.lingolia.com/de/grammatik/verben/konjunktiv/uebungen/articles/konjunktiv-1

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How to form subjunctive I for the past tense

Subjunctive I for the past tense is formed from the auxiliary verb sein or haben in subjunctive I and participle II:

Perfect tense indicative and subjunctive I

As you can see below in the table, the forms of the verb haben in the 1st person singular, as well as the 1^st and 3rd person plural in the perfect indicative and subjunctive I are the same.

Verbs that form the perfect tense with sein always differ from the perfect indicative:

Subjunctive I for the Past

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