Konjunktiv 1

What is the Konjunktiv 1? (Subjunctive 1)

The Konjunktiv 1 is a special form (also known as a mode) of a verb.

It shows that you aren’t stating your own opinion, perception, question, or wish, but rather from something somebody else said. So, we use it for indirect and reported speech when we don’t directly quote the other person.

It is mainly found in the news and the hospital. But there are also specific expressions that use the Konjunktiv 1.

What is Indirect / Reported Speech?

Direct Speech:

The teacher says: „Deutsch ist nicht schwer!“ 

Indirect Speech:

The student says to his friend:  „Mein Lehrer sagt, Deutsch sei nicht schwer.“

⇒ The speaker is the teacher, and the student is reporting what the teacher said.

Constructing the Konjunktiv 1

In English, we conjugate verbs like normal when indirect speech is involved and just add in that someone else said this. In German, however, the verb is conjugated differently to really show that this is the opinion / belief of someone else.

Theoretically all verbs and persons (i.e. first person singular, second person plural) have a Konjunktiv 1 form, but in practice „sein“ is the only verb where all persons are used:

For all other verbs, we usually only use the sein Konjunktiv 1 in third person singular. To form it, we just have to take away the "n" from the Infinitive form.

• leben  ⇒ „er lebe“
• haben  ⇒ „er habe“

In second person (du/ihr), the Konjunktiv 1 is rarely use and is created by adding an "e" before the ending in the Present Tense (Präsens):

• Bringen  ⇒ „du bringest“ / „ihr bringet“
• Gehen  ⇒ „du gehest“ / „ihr gehet“

In informal speech, the Konjunktiv 2 is used instead.

In first person singular („ich“) and first / third person plural („wir“/„sie“), the Konjunktiv 1 is not used anymore. Instead, the Subjunctive 2 is used.

It says: „Wir gehen ins Kino.“

• „Er sagt, sie würden ins Kino gehen.“ (= Konjunktiv 2)
• „Er sagt, sie gehen ins Kino.“ (= Indicative)

Tenses and the Konjunktiv 1

The Konjunktiv 1 can be used in the Präsens (Simple Present), Perfekt (Perfect) and Futur 1 (werden-Future) Tenses.

The conjugated verb needs to be in the Konjunktiv 1 form.

Examples:

Fixed Expressions that Use the Konjunktiv 1

The Konjunktiv 1 is also used in specific fixed expressions:

• „Hoch lebe das Geburtstagskind!“
• „Gott sei dank!“
• „Es lebe die Freiheit.“

Konjunktiv 1 in Informal Language

In informal speech we don‘t really use the Konjunktiv 1.

Instead, we use the indicative and a clause containing „dass“:

• „Der Lehrer sagt, dass Deutsch nicht schwer ist.“
  (100% Korrekt: „Der Lehrer sagt, dass Deutsch nicht schwer sei.“ )
  

This sentence is only 100% grammatically correct with the Konjunktiv 1. However, only German teachers and linguists would notice it.

It's important that you understand the tense, but most German learners don't need to spend so much time mastering it. It's only critical in a few specific areas like law and medicine.