WENN + Konjunktiv 2 | How to Use "If" in German

German has a special way to talk about things that aren't real — wishes, hypotheticals, "if I could fly..." situations — and it all comes down to one small word plus one important verb form: wenn + Konjunktiv 2. In this lesson we'll quickly review Konjunktiv 2 and then focus on exactly how to combine it with "wenn" to build natural-sounding conditional sentences, with plenty of examples along the way.

What Is Konjunktiv 2? A Quick Review

Konjunktiv 2 is the German verb form used for hypothetical, unreal, or polite statements — things that aren't (or might not be) true. For most verbs, you form it with würde + infinitive: ich würde gehen (I would go). A handful of very common verbs have their own short Konjunktiv 2 forms instead of using würde: sein → wäre, haben → hätte, and the modal verbs können → könnte, müssen → müsste, dürfen → dürfte, mögen → möchte.

How to Use "Wenn" + Konjunktiv 2

To describe an unreal or hypothetical condition, German uses wenn (if) to introduce the condition, and — importantly — both clauses go into Konjunktiv 2, not just the result clause like in English: Wenn ich fliegen könnte, würde ich um die Welt reisen. (If I could fly, I would travel around the world.) Since wenn is a subordinating conjunction, its clause sends the verb to the end. If the wenn-clause comes first, the main clause that follows starts directly with its conjugated verb.

5 Verbs You'll Need Most for Wenn-Sentences

Almost every hypothetical sentence you'll want to build leans on the same handful of verbs, so it's worth memorizing these Konjunktiv 2 forms first: wäre (sein), hätte (haben), könnte (können), müsste (müssen), and würde (werden, used with the infinitive for every other verb). Master these five and you can build the vast majority of everyday wenn-sentences.

Example Sentences

Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich nicht mehr arbeiten. (If I were rich, I wouldn't work anymore.)
Wenn du mehr Deutsch üben würdest, würdest du schneller lernen. (If you practiced more German, you'd learn faster.)
Wenn wir Zeit hätten, könnten wir ins Kino gehen. (If we had time, we could go to the cinema.)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Konjunktiv 2 used for in German?

Konjunktiv 2 expresses hypothetical, unreal, or polite statements — things that aren't necessarily true, like wishes or "if" scenarios.

How do you form Konjunktiv 2 for most verbs?

With "würde" plus the infinitive at the end of the clause, e.g. "ich würde gehen" (I would go).

Which verbs have their own short Konjunktiv 2 forms instead of würde?

"Sein" (wäre), "haben" (hätte), and the modal verbs like "können" (könnte), "müssen" (müsste), "dürfen" (dürfte), and "mögen" (möchte).

Do both clauses use Konjunktiv 2 in a wenn-sentence?

Yes — for unreal or hypothetical conditions, both the wenn-clause and the main clause use Konjunktiv 2 forms, unlike English where only the result clause uses "would."

Can you swap the order of the wenn-clause and the main clause?

Yes. If the wenn-clause comes first, the main clause starts directly with its conjugated verb after the comma; either order is correct.

Hypotheticals like these get real conversational practice in our B1 German course.