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Conditional Clauses in German

(Konditionalsätze)

Conditional clauses are a type of subordinate clause. In

German, there are 5 types of conditional clauses:

Type of conditional Used for

Clause Type -1 Orders

Imperativ + Wenn + Präsens
Clause Type 0 Scientific
Präsens + Wenn + Präsens or empirical
realities
Clause Type 1 Possible
Futur I + Wenn + Präsens Situations
Clause Type 2 Imaginary
Konjunktiv II Präteritum + Wenn + situations
Konjunktiv II Präteritum in the present
Clause Type 3 Imaginary
Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt + Situations
Wenn + in the past
Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt
1. Type -1: Imperativ + Wenn + Präsens
Type -1 clauses are used for giving conditional orders and
are formed:

Imperativ + Wenn + Präsens

Sag mir, wenn du Zeit hast

Tell me if you have time

2. Type 0: Präsens + Wenn + Präsens

Type 0 clauses are used to express empirical or scientific
realities. They are constructed in the following way:

Präsens + Wenn + Präsens

Du kannst alles schaffen, wenn du es wirklich willst

You can do it all, if you really want to

Remember that the order of the sentences can be

reversed, but the verb must remain in the second position
in the main clause:

Wenn du es wirklich willst, kannst du alles schaffen

If you really want to, you can do it all
3. Type 1: Futur I + Wenn + Präsens
Type 1 clauses are used to express events that might
happen. Their construction:

Futur I + Wenn + Präsens

Wenn ich Geld habe, werde ich einen neuen Laptop

kaufen
When/If I have money, I will buy a new laptop

NOTE: The idea of this clause is that we think that we are

going to have money in the future; we consider it to be a
possible situation in the future.

4. Type 2: Konjunktiv II (Präteritum) + Wenn +

Konjunktiv II (Präteritum)
Type 2 is used for narrating situations that have little
possibility of taking place:

Konjunktiv II (Präteritum) + Wenn + Konjunktiv II

(Präteritum)

Wenn ich Millionär wäre würde ich ein Motorrad

kaufen
If I were a millionaire, I’d buy myself a motorcycle

5. Tipo 3: Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt +

Wenn + Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt
Type 3 conditional clauses express situations that are not
possible in the present, their construction is:

Konjunktiv II Plusquamperfekt + Wenn + Konjunktiv II

Plusquamperfekt

Wenn ich an seiner Stelle gewesen wäre, hätte ich

das selbe gemacht
If I had been in his place, I would have done the same
6. Conditional clauses without 'Wenn'
Conditional clauses can also be formed without the
conjunction wenn but by changing the position of the verb
to position 1.

Construction with wenn:

Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich dir helfen

If I were rich, I would help you

Construction without wenn:

Wäre ich reich, würde ich dir helfen

If I were rich, I would help you

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