Subjunctive IÂ For Intermediate learners
What is Subjunctive I?
Subjunctive (Konjunktiv) I is a grammatical mood in German that is used for indirect speech. With the Subjunctive I mood, you can report what someone has said without quoting them directly. This mood is used in formal writing, news reports, and journalism.
Usage
The Subjunctive I mood is primarily used when reporting statements made by others. Its main uses include:
Indirect Speech in the Present Tense
Indirect Speech in the Past Tense
Indirect Speech in the Future Tense
Indirect Speech in the Present Tense
You can use subjunctive I in the present tense for indirect speech to report statements, questions, commands, or requests.
[Infinitive Stem] + [Subjunctive I Endings]
Der Minister erklÀrte, die Reform sei notwendig.
The minister stated the reform was necessary.
Er fragt, ob ich das gehört habe.
He asks if I heard that.
Der Chef befahl, wir sollen sofort beginnen.
The boss ordered that we should start immediately.
Indirect Speech in the Past Tense
You can use Subjunctive I for indirect speech in the past tense. In order to use it, you need to use the subjunctive I form of the auxiliary verbs haben or sein.
Subjunctive I in the Present Perfect:
[habe/sei + Past Participle]
Er: "Ich habe es gesehen."
He: "I have seen it."
Er sagte, er habe es gesehen.
He said he had seen it.
Sie: "Ich bin nach Hause gegangen."
She: "I have gone home."
Sie erzÀhlte, sie sei nach Hause gegangen.
She said she had gone home.
Indirect Speech in the Future Tense
You can use Subjunctive I in future tenses for indirect speech.
Subjunctive I in the Future (Futur I):
werde + Infinitive
In Futur I, werde must be conjugated in the Subjunctive I form.
Der Chef: "Ich werde die Entscheidung treffen."
The boss: "I will make the decision."
Der Chef kĂŒndigte an, er werde die Entscheidung treffen.
The boss announced he would make the decision.
Subjunctive I in the Future Perfect (Futur II):
werde + Past Participle + haben/sein
Er: "Bis morgen werde ich es erledigt haben."
He: "By tomorrow I will have finished it."
Er versprach, bis morgen werde er es erledigt haben.
He promised that by tomorrow he would have finished it.
Formation of the Subjunctive I
The formation of Subjunctive I is pretty easy. You only need to find the stem of the verb and add subjunctive endings to it.
Formula: [Infinitive Stem] + [Subjunctive I Endings]
How to Find the Stem?
The stem is derived from the infinitive form of the verb. In order to find the verb stem, you should remove the "en" from the end of the infinitive form of the verb.
- spielen â (-en) â spiel (verb stem)
- sesen â (-en) â les- (verb stem)
- sagen â (-en) â sag- (verb stem)
- saben â (-en) â hab- (verb stem)
Here is the ending table for subjunctive I:
ich | -e |
|---|---|
du | -est |
er/sie/es | -e |
wir | -en |
ihr | -et |
sie/Sie | -en |
Note!
There are some common verbs that are used for reporting something in the indirect speech. Here are some of them:
sagen (to say)
Maria: "Ich habe Hunger."
Maria: I'm hungry.
Maria sagt, sie habe Hunger.
Maria says she is hungry.
behaupten (to claim)
Der Zeuge: "Ich sehe nichts."
The witness: "I see nothing."
Der Zeuge behauptet, er sehe nichts.
The witness claims he sees nothing.
erklÀren (to explain/state)
Der Arzt: "Der Patient schlÀft."
Der Arzt erklÀrt, der Patient schlafe.
Der Arzt erklÀrt, der Patient schlafe.
The doctor explains that the patient is sleeping.
Special Case: sein
The verb sein has a bit of a different conjugation in Subjunctive I, and it must be memorized.
Subjunctive I | |
|---|---|
ich | sei |
du | seiest |
er/sie/es | sei |
wir | seien |
ihr | seiet |
sie/Sie | seien |
Der Minister: "Die Lage ist unter Kontrolle."
The minister: "The situation is under control."
Der Minister erklÀrte, die Lage sei unter Kontrolle.
The minister stated the situation was under control.
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