German Tenses--An Overview (Part III.2)

Here is Part III.2, as promised.

Konjunktiv I == Subjunctive

Präsens == (present)

ich gehe == (that) I go

du gehest == (that) you go

er/sie/es gehe == (that) he/she/it go

wir gehen == (that) we go

ihr gehet == (that) you go

sie/Sie gehen == (that) they go ((that) you go—formal address)

Vergangenheit (Perfekt) == (past)

ich sei gegangen == (if) I went

du sei(e)st gegangen == (if) you went

er/sie/es sei gegangen == (if) he/she/it went

wir seien gegangen == (if) we went

ihr seiet gegangen == (if) you went

sie/Sie seien gegangen == (if) they went ((if) you went—formal address)

Futur I == (future I)

ich werde gehen == (if) I were to go/should go

du werdest gehen == (if) you were to go/should go

er/sie/es werde gehen == (if) he/she/it were to go/should go

wir werden gehen == (if) we were to go/should go

ihr werdet gehen == (if) you were to go/should go

sie/Sie werden gehen == (if) they were to go/should go

((if) you were to go/should go—formal address)

Note: The subjunctive future with “should” is mostly used in BE.

Futur II == (future II)

ich werde gegangen sein

du werdest gegangen sein

er/sie/es werde gegangen sein

wir werden gegangen sein

ihr werdet gegangen sein

sie/Sie werden gegangen sein

Note: German Konjunktiv I Futur II doesn’t seem to have a corresponding English verb tense (on the other hand, the English pluperfect subjunctive doesn’t have a corresponding German verb tense). It is rarely used in modern German anymore.

Konjunktiv II == Conditional

Präsens (Präteritum/Futur I) == (present)

ich ginge/würde gehen == I would go

du gingest/würdest gehen == you would go

er/sie/es ginge/würde gehen == he/she/it would go

wir gingen/würden gehen == we would go

ihr ginget/würdet gehen == you would go

sie/Sie gingen/würden gehen == they would go (you would go—formal address)

Note: Regular verbs have the same forms in Konjunktiv II Präsens as in Präteritum, therefore the modal verb „werden“ is used in its conditional form (würde etc) together with the infinitive to differentiate Konjunktiv II from Präteritum. Some of the irregular forms are identical too.

Vergangenheit (Plusquamperfekt/Futur II) == (past)

ich wäre gegangen/würde gegangen sein == I would have gone

du wärest gegangen/würdest gegangen sein == you would have gone

er/sie/es wäre gegangen/würde gegangen sein == he/she/it would have gone

wir wären gegangen/würden gegangen sein == we would have gone

ihr wär(e)t gegangen/würdet gegangen sein == you would have gone

sie/Sie wären gegangen/würden gegangen sein == they would have gone

(you would have gone—formal address)

Note: In both German Konjunktiv II tenses, both given alternatives (the „natural“ one and the one using „würde“) are equally valid and are used without difference in meaning.

Imperativ == Imperative

Geh(e)! == Go!

Gehen wir! == Let’s go!

Geht! == Go!

Gehen Sie! == Go! (formal address)

Infinitivformen == Participles

Präsens == (present)

gehend == going

Perfekt == (past)

gegangen == gone

Next week, I will provide you with the passive tenses of "gehen".