The conditional with "würde"
To describe hypothetical situations—things you would do—German pairs the auxiliary verb würde with the infinitive form of a main verb.
In a standard sentence, the conjugated würde takes the second position, and the infinitive of the main verb is placed at the very end.
| Pronoun | würde (would) |
|---|---|
| ich | würde |
| du | würdest |
| er/sie/es | würde |
| wir | würden |
| ihr | würdet |
| sie/Sie | würden |
| I would never forget your request. | Ich würde deine Bitte nie vergessen. |
| I would give it to my little brother. | Ich würde ihn meinem kleinen Bruder geben. |
Polite requests
You can also use würde to make polite requests, much like asking "Would you...?" in English. To form the question, move the conjugated würde to the first position. The main verb stays in its infinitive form at the end.
| Would you drink the tea with sugar? | Würden Sie den Tee mit Zucker trinken? |
| Would you please pass us the salt? | Würden Sie uns bitte das Salz reichen? |
Subordinate clauses
If you use würde in a subordinate clause (starting with a conjunction like dass or wenn), the conjugated würde is pushed to the very end of the clause. It will appear immediately after the infinitive main verb.
| I know that he would stay overnight. | Ich weiß, dass er übernachten würde. |
Separable verbs
When you use würde with a separable verb, the main verb stays in its full infinitive form at the end of the sentence. Because it isn't conjugated, the prefix does not separate.
| Would you please turn on the lamp? | Würdest du bitte die Lampe einschalten? |
If a separable verb is used alongside würde in a subordinate clause, the infinitive remains intact, and würde follows it at the very end.
| We hope that they would turn off the radio. | Wir hoffen, dass sie das Radio ausschalten würden. |