Breakdown of Sie hatte die Vorfahrt, also hätte ich nicht hupen sollen.
ich
I
sie
she
haben
to have
nicht
not
Questions & Answers about Sie hatte die Vorfahrt, also hätte ich nicht hupen sollen.
Why is it hätte ... hupen sollen instead of using a past participle?
When a modal verb like sollen is used in the past to say you "should have" done something, German uses a structure called the "double infinitive." Instead of a past participle, you use the conjugated form of haben (here, hätte) followed by the infinitive of the main action (hupen) and the infinitive of the modal verb (sollen).
Why are both infinitives at the very end of the sentence?
In standard German main clauses, the conjugated verb (hätte) takes the second position, and any infinitives get pushed to the end of the clause. When using a double infinitive, the main action (hupen) comes first, followed by the modal verb (sollen) at the absolute end.
Is also used the same way here as the English word "also"?
No, also is a classic false friend. In German, it means "so" or "therefore." If you want to say "also" or "too" in German, you should use auch. Here, also shows the consequence of her having the right of way.
Why does the sentence use hatte in the first half but hätte in the second?
hatte is the simple past (Präteritum) of haben, stating a solid fact: she actually had the right of way. hätte is the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) form, used here to talk about a hypothetical or unreal past situation: I shouldn't have honked, but I actually did.