Breakdown of Hätte ich dieses Referat nur nicht!
ich
I
haben
to have
nicht
not
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
Questions & Answers about Hätte ich dieses Referat nur nicht!
Why does the sentence start with the verb Hätte?
Starting a sentence with a Konjunktiv II verb is a common way to express an unreal wish in German. It has the exact same meaning as starting with Wenn (If) and kicking the verb to the end: Wenn ich dieses Referat nur nicht hätte!
What role does the word nur play here?
In unreal wishes, modal particles like nur, bloß, or doch are added to emphasize strong emotion, regret, or longing. They translate perfectly to the 'only' in the English phrase 'If only...'.
Could I use the regular past tense Hatte instead of Hätte here?
No, because this expresses an unreal wish, meaning it is a situation that isn't actually true (you DO have the presentation). To express this counterfactual desire, you must use the Konjunktiv II form Hätte. If you used Hatte, it would sound like a simple yes/no question about the past: 'Did I just not have this presentation?'
Why is it dieses Referat instead of diesen Referat?
Referat is a neuter noun (das Referat). Because it is the direct object of the verb haben (here as hätte), it takes the accusative case. The accusative ending for neuter demonstrative pronouns is -es, making it dieses.