The subjunctive mood in German is a rather complex part of grammar and therefore easily confuses learners. The Konjunktiv II in the past differs from the one in the present. Today's article introduces the subjunctive in the past.

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1. Structure: hätten/wären + Partizip II

• The auxiliary verb hätten/wären is conjugated according to the subject. Verbs that express movement or a change of state use the auxiliary wären. All other verbs take the auxiliary hätten.

1. Usage: 

• Use Konjunktiv II in the past when expressing a wish related to the past that could not be fulfilled: 

Ich hätte sehr gern ein Auto gekauft.

(I would have really liked to buy a car.)

→ I really wanted to buy a car, but at that time in the past I could not buy it for some reason.

• Use Konjunktiv II in unreal conditional sentences about the past. Conditional sentences usually use wenn or falls. In this case, the past Konjunktiv II expresses that some action in the past could have been different if some condition in the past had been different. 

Wenn ich genug Geld gehabt hätte, wäre ich nach Deutschland geflogen.

(If I had had enough money, I would have gone to Germany.)

→ The truth: In the past I did not have enough money and did not go to Germany. 

!!! When an unreal condition in the past leads to an action in the present or future that cannot take place, we can put the condition clause in the past Konjunktiv II and the main clause in the present Konjunktiv II. 

Wenn ich Jura studiert hätte, wäre ich heute Anwalt. 

(If I had studied law, I would be a lawyer today.)

1. Konjunktiv II in the past tense with Modalverb

• Konjunktiv II in the past tense with a Modalverb is used to emphasize the degree and nature of the action. 

• Structure: hätten + Infinitiv (Vollverb) + Infinitiv (Modalverb)

Er hätte besser die Prüfung machen können.

(If only he could have done the test better.)

*** Note: 

• Never use the auxiliary wären, even if the main verb describes a movement or a change of state. Always use hätten when forming Konjunktiv II in the past with a Modalverb.

a. Frau Hochstein hätte nicht nach Deutschland fahren müssen.

(If only Mrs. Hochstein hadn't had to go to Germany.)

→ fahren is a verb of movement, but ‘’hätten’’ must still be used.

b. Am Wochenende hätten wir um 6 Uhr aufstehen müssen.

(If only we hadn't had to get up at 6 o'clock on the weekend.)

→ aufstehen is a verb that expresses a change of state, but hätten must still be used.

• In a subordinate clause (Nebensatz), you also have to pay attention to the position of hätten. Hätten stands before the 2 Infinitiv forms and is not moved to the end of the subordinate clause as usual.

a. Wenn du hättest abnehmen wollen, hättest du Sport treiben müssen. 

(If you had wanted to lose weight back then, you would have had to do sports.)

b. Ich hätte sie fragen müssen, ob ich nach Paris hätte fliegen dürfen. 

(I should have asked them whether I would have been allowed to fly to Paris.)