Lesson 12-4 - Lektion 12-4
Subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv) in German
Lesson 12: Recreation. Sport. Activity 4
From this activity you will know how to:
- say that you would like to go to the cinema
- ask what at the cinema is
- ask when the show begins
- buy a ticket at the cinema
Learn the words and expressions for the dialogue
to go out
How about we go out somewhere today? (not lit.)
cinema, movie theater
Do you often go to the cinema?
plan
I am against this plan.
game, match
When does the game begin?
to look at, to watch
I’d like to watch the game.
(crime) thriller
Do you like thrillers?
to be on, to be showing
This thriller is already on.
film, movie
I liked (didn’t like) the film.
theatre, theater
Do you often go to the theatre?
performance, show
When does the show begin?
to do, to manage, to finish, to make
We can still make it.
already
I’m already ready / I’m ready now.
last
The last performance begins.
stalls, parquet
We are sitting in the stalls.
balcony, circle, tier
Our seats are in the first circle.
to hurry (up), to get a move on
Hurry up, please!
Pay attention to the form and the usage of the words
The verb sich ansehen «to look at», «to watch» in 1st and 2nd person singular has the pronouns mir and dir instead of the reflexive pronoun sich:
Ich sehe mir Krimis gern an.
I like to watch thrillers.
Sieh dir den Spielplan an!
Look at the programme!
The verb laufen «to run» is also used with films; in this case, it is translated as «to be on», «to be showing»:
Dieser Film läuft nicht mehr.
This film is no longer showing.
The verb schaffen does not have a proper translation into English. It is translated based on the context «достичь», «выполнить», «сделать», «успеть», «застать»:
Wir schaffen es noch.
We can still get there / make it (on time and not be late).
Das können wir nicht schaffen.
That we cannot do.
Wir haben es gerade noch geschafft.
We barely made it.
The English word «cinema» (or movie theater) has its German equivalents in Filmtheater or just in Kino:
Gehen wir heute ins Kino?
Are we going to the cinema tonight?
Ich sehe Filme gern.
I like watching movies.
Remember the following way of word-formation (1)
das Spiel + der Plan = der Spielplan programme, repertoire
der Film + das Theater = das Filmtheater movie theater
Practise in reading the words
Heute gehen wir aus
Grammar points
The subjunctive mood (der Konjunktiv)
The subjunctive mood is used for hypothetical statements (if, what if, if only, if I were etc.), politeness (especially with modal verbs) and reported or indirect speech. The German subjunctive mood (der Konjunktiv) comes in two varieties: konjunktiv I (includes präsens, perfekt and futur) and konjunktiv II (includes präteritum, plusquamperfekt and a special form with the verb würde(n)). Konjunktiv II is used more often in conversational German that is why we start with it.
Konjunktiv II is used:
a) to express wishes, desire, dreams, fantasies, imaginary situations:
Wenn ich jetzt in London wäre!
If I were in London now! or
I wish I were in London right now.
(but I am in another city now)b) to describe actions that are not real under the current circumstances:
Wenn ich morgen Zeit hätte,
If I had time tomorrow,
würde ich ins Grüne fahren.
I would go to the country.
(but I won’t have time)c) as a polite form, request:
Könnten Sie mir sagen, wie spät es ist?
Could you tell me what time it is?
d) doubt or uncertainty, recommendations or suggestions:
Das könnte ich empfehlen.
I could recommend that.
Konjunktiv II is formed of the präteritum form and the umlaut: ich wäre, hätte, würde, könnte, müßte, dürfte etc. The forms of other verbs are usually made of the verb würde(n) + infinitive:
Würden Sie mir helfen?
Would you help me?
Konjunktiv II
| Singular | |||||||
| ich | wäre | hätte | würde | könnte | dürfte | müßte | sollte |
| du | wärest | hättest | würdest | könntest | dürftest | müßtest | solltest |
| er | wäre | hätte | würde | könnte | dürfte | müßte | sollte |
| Plural | |||||||
| wir | wären | hätten | würden | könnten | dürften | müßten | sollten |
| ihr | wäret | hättet | würdet | könntet | dürftet | müßtet | solltet |
| Sie | wären | hätten | würden | könnten | dürften | müßten | sollten |
1. You want to talk with someone. Ask a question. What answer would you give if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ein Moment! Ich sehe nach, ob er da ist.
Continue:
der Arzt, der Ingenieur, die Lehrerin, der Journalist, die Arztin, die Krankenschwester, der Dolmetscher.
2. You would like that the interlocutor would do something. Ask about it. How would you answer if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ja, natürlich! Das mache ich gern.
Continue:
ein Telegramm schicken, einen Brief schreiben, ein Zimmer bestellen, den Spielplan zeigen, ein Filmtheater empfehlen.
3. You would like to act in a certain way. Ask the interlocutor if it is possible. How would you answer if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ja, meine Frau und ich würden uns sehr freuen.
Continue:
im Wald spazieren gehen, ins Kino gehen, am Ausflug teilnehmen, sich das Spiel ansehen, ins Grüne fahren, tanzen gehen.
4. You are asked if you would like to keep company at a certain activity. Answer that you would love to.
B. Wenn ich Zeit hätte, würde ich gern fahren.
Continue:
ins Kino gehen, ausgehen, die Karten kaufen, Boot fahren, Gitarre spielen, spazieren gehen, sich den Krimi ansehen.
5. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the dialogue.
1. Der Film bereits seit zwei Wochen. 2. Ich möchte zwei Karten für die Vorstellung. 3. Wir könnten es noch . 4. Die beginnt um halb acht. 5. Hast du den ? 6. Hier. dir den an!
6. Reconstruct the dialogue by filling in the gaps with the appropriate words.
Hast du den Spielplan?
?
7. Try to reproduce the dialogue “Heute gehen wir aus” by memory.
Check yourself!
What expressions will you use if you want to:
say that you would like to go to the cinema
ask what at the cinema is
ask when the show begins
buy a ticket at the cinema
