German Subjunctive I
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for freeWe offer both private lessons and organized group courses
Sign up for free to get all available courses or contact one of our teachers yourself!
Jana K.
32.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Belinda W.
24.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Colomba L.
24.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Our offer
Lesson outline
HideThe usage and formation of the subjunctive I
The subjunctive I is a form that in general is only used in reports or newspapers. In them it describes a indirect speech. For example: "Die Frau berichtete, das Obst sei schlecht." (The woman reported, the fruits were bad.) Other than that the subjunctive I is only used in fixed German expressions. Examples for the use of the subjunctive I:
| Indirect speech | Fixed expressions |
|---|---|
Sie sagte, sie habe davon nichts gewusst. (She said she didn't know that.) | Sei es wie is sei. (Be it as it may.) |
Er sagte mir, er komme heute nicht mehr. (He told me he wouldn't come today.) | Lang lebe der König. (Long live the king.) |
Sie vergewisserten mir, sie seien pünktlich. (They assured me they would be on time.) | Gott sei Dank. (Thank god.) |
Have a question?
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
- Native & verified teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Learning materials included
Jaiyeola D. 
20.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Georgia A. 
23.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Tibor N. 
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Isabella V. 
18.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Ilaria B.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Agnès L. 
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Jana Z. 
15.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Carina B.
24.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Christina F.
20.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Daniele D.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Jaiyeola D.
20.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Georgia A.
23.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Tibor N.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Isabella V.
18.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Ilaria B.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Agnès L.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Jana Z.
15.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Carina B.
24.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
How to form the German Subjunctive I
When forming the German subjunctive I the word "sein" (to be) is the most important to learn. That's because "sein " is the only German verb for which you can form the Subjunctive I for all persons. Here you can see it in a table
| Person | sein (to be) |
|---|---|
| ich | sei |
| du | seiest |
| er/ sie/ es | sei |
| wir | seien |
| ihr | seiet |
| sie | seien |
For all other verbs you can only form the 3rd person singular in subjunctive I. It is really easy to form this - you just take the indefinite form of the verb an remove the "-n" at the end! A few examples:
| Infinitive | Subjunctive I |
|---|---|
Haben (to have) | Er/Sie/Es habe |
Schreiben (to write) | Er/Sie/Es schreibe |
Lesen (to read) | Er/Sie/Es lese |
Fragen (to ask) | Er/Sie/Es frage |
Müssen (to have to) | Er/Sie/Es müsse |
Sagen (to say) | Er/Sie/Es sage |
Lachen (to laugh) | Er/Sie/Es lache |
Now, that you have learned about the subjunctive I you can either practice it in the following exercise or learn about the subjunctive II in the next chapter!
Exercises
Exercise for German Subjunctive I!
Fill in the missing form of the subjunctive I.
It is derived from the simple present tense of a verb in the indicative. Recap of the subjunctive I endings:
- ich -e
- du -est
- er/ sie/ es -e
- wir -en
- ihr -et
- sie -en
Die Frau sagt, der Mann in einer Firma. (arbeiten) - (The woman says, the man worked in a firm)
Das Mädchen sagt, ihr Bruder sie geärgert. (haben) - (The girl says, her brother had teased her)
Der Junge sagt, es noch drei weitere Brüder. (geben) - (The boy says, there were 3 more brothers)
Die Mutter sagt, wir zu laut gewesen. (sein) - (The mother says, we had been to loud)
Der Professor sagt, die Erde bald überbevölkert. (sein) - (The professor says, the earth would soon be overpopulated)
Deine Freundin sagt, du jeden Tag 100 Euro aus. (geben) - (Your girlfriend says, you would spend a 100 euros every day)
Die Frau sagt, er schlecht über dich. (reden) - (The woman says, he would talk bad about you)
Die Chefin sagt, wir zu gemein untereinander. (sein) - (The boss says, we were too mean to each other)
Die Lehrerin sagt, die Schulkinder zu viel. (reden) - (The teacher says, the kids talked too much)
Der Verkäufer sagt, der Fernseher das beste Model. (sein) - (The salesperson says, the TV were the best model)
Exercise: Build the subjunctive 1
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the subjunctive 1
Er sagte (he says):
- er (haben) Hunger. (he were hungry)
- er (sein) gestern erst sehr spät nach Hause gekommen. (he had arrived very late yesterday)
- Mario und Lukas (sein) heute schon um 8 da gewesen. (Mario and Lukas were already here at 8)
- er (kommen) heute. (he would come today)
- du (sein) zuhause. (you were at home)
- es (werden) bald schlechtes Wetter aufkommen. (it would be bad weather soon)
- dein Haar (wachsen) 1 cm pro Monat. (your hair grew 1 cm per month)
- er (schreiben) ein Gedicht über die Liebe. (he would write a poem about love)
- er (haben) seit heute Morgen nichts mehr gegessen. (he hadn't eaten anything since this morning)
- du (sein) erst sehr spät nach Hause gekommen. (you had come home very late.)
Exercises
Exercise for German Subjunctive I!
Fill in the missing form of the subjunctive I.
It is derived from the simple present tense of a verb in the indicative. Recap of the subjunctive I endings:
- ich -e
- du -est
- er/ sie/ es -e
- wir -en
- ihr -et
- sie -en
Die Frau sagt, der Mann in einer Firma. (arbeiten) - (The woman says, the man worked in a firm)
Das Mädchen sagt, ihr Bruder sie geärgert. (haben) - (The girl says, her brother had teased her)
Der Junge sagt, es noch drei weitere Brüder. (geben) - (The boy says, there were 3 more brothers)
Die Mutter sagt, wir zu laut gewesen. (sein) - (The mother says, we had been to loud)
Der Professor sagt, die Erde bald überbevölkert. (sein) - (The professor says, the earth would soon be overpopulated)
Deine Freundin sagt, du jeden Tag 100 Euro aus. (geben) - (Your girlfriend says, you would spend a 100 euros every day)
Die Frau sagt, er schlecht über dich. (reden) - (The woman says, he would talk bad about you)
Die Chefin sagt, wir zu gemein untereinander. (sein) - (The boss says, we were too mean to each other)
Die Lehrerin sagt, die Schulkinder zu viel. (reden) - (The teacher says, the kids talked too much)
Der Verkäufer sagt, der Fernseher das beste Model. (sein) - (The salesperson says, the TV were the best model)
Exercise: Build the subjunctive 1
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the subjunctive 1
Er sagte (he says):
- er (haben) Hunger. (he were hungry)
- er (sein) gestern erst sehr spät nach Hause gekommen. (he had arrived very late yesterday)
- Mario und Lukas (sein) heute schon um 8 da gewesen. (Mario and Lukas were already here at 8)
- er (kommen) heute. (he would come today)
- du (sein) zuhause. (you were at home)
- es (werden) bald schlechtes Wetter aufkommen. (it would be bad weather soon)
- dein Haar (wachsen) 1 cm pro Monat. (your hair grew 1 cm per month)
- er (schreiben) ein Gedicht über die Liebe. (he would write a poem about love)
- er (haben) seit heute Morgen nichts mehr gegessen. (he hadn't eaten anything since this morning)
- du (sein) erst sehr spät nach Hause gekommen. (you had come home very late.)
What our students say
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
German teacher from Heidelberg
A. C.
Yulia is a very nice teacher, with lots of patience and great preparation for each lesson. She has tailor-made each lesson for us, according to what topics we would like to focus more. We are very happy to have lessons with her to improve our German skills, especially our speaking skills, in preparation for our coming exams.
Yulia K.
Hello!
Are you worried that you can't tackle the big journey of learning Russian or English? I would be really happy to help you and do my best to be your guide on that path!
I have a bachelor's degree with honors in teaching foreign languages and linguistics and I have been working as a tutor for 3 years.
With me it doesn't matter, where you are coming from, what your language level is and why you decided to pick up a language. Be sure that at every lesson I will create a very friendly and supportive a friendly environment with individual materials for your needs.
Your goals will be my goals. If you have any doubts, feel free to book a trial lesson (it's free anyway) and I will be happy to answer to all your questions.
A. S.
Katya is a Russian/English teacher who's had experience with beginners in the past. So if you're looking to start learning Russian this is a good option to do so. She has a large variety of learning materials including games and grammar practice and seems to know how to communicate online.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Katsiaryna S.
Thank you so much!
Hello,
my name is Nina, I'm from Austria and I also lived for one year and a half in Canada. I worked there as a German Teacher for adults, so I speak German, English and French.
I also teach English for beginners and advanced beginners.
My teaching methodes are totally based on the level of my student. If somebody is already advanced, I focus on communication and pronunciation. We will arrange on a topic and talk and discuss in the lesson about it.
If my student is a beginner, I'm gonna start with the basics of the German language. (the articles, the verb "to be", the pronouns...)
The learning material is all made by myself, because I'm a German teacher, so that means, I already got lots of working sheets for many topics. I send these to my student via e-mail or put it directly on the coLanguage homepage.
I'm available from Monday to Thursday between 5pm and 08:00 pm. For the weekend it's the best to just send me a request.
Of course is a free trial lesson (it's about 20 minutes) possible.
I'm happy to teach you :-)
See you soon! Nina
R. G.
Today Nina helped me to fill out a couple of papers. Thank you Nina for your help and patience :)
Nina V.
Brazilian Portuguese for beginners and intermediates
A. S.
Patrick is a Portuguese teacher who has experience with different groups. It has several learning materials that will help you meet different goals and practice speaking!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Patrick D.
Thanks to many years of experience, I offer you professional language instruction via Skype.
I am a native speaker (bilingual German and English) and have been working with Skype for over 9 years. The courses are optimally tailored to your language level and job description. Arrange a trial lesson.
Proficient handling of everyday German, leading to various certificates (Goethe Certificates, DaF etc.), specific courses for the professional field (hotel, tourism, law, medicine - FACHSPRACHENPRÜFUNG MEDIZIN, technology, business.....).
S. .
I am learning Medical German with Belinda. She is an excellent teacher. The lessons are very informative. We focus on my communication skills and medical terminology. I am very happy with the early results. I feel more confident and speak German more freely. I recommend her 100%.
Belinda W.
My name is Christina and I provide German & French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!
I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier!
C. P.
Christina is very helpful in correcting my grammar and sentence structures and providing materials to learn new vocabulary.
Christina F.
My name is Tim Grundl and I have been teaching languages professionally for over 15 years. By using modern methods and a personal approach, the lessons become sustainable and motivating. The fun of learning should not be neglected, because learning is only possible in a relaxed atmosphere.
Book a free trial lesson and form your own opinion.
Whatever your goals are, conversation training, writing letters or emails, etc., together we will create a goal-oriented, individual plan to achieve these goals as stress-free as possible.
I would be happy to work with you.
M. R.
My husband has really enjoyed the lessons he's had with Tim. The material is rigorous and in-depth. Even after previous lessons, Tim has been able to push my husband and keep his confidence up.
Tim G.
Hi! Welcome to my page! I'm Milton a certified English teacher with experience as an instructor in different fields.
I'm passionate about language learning and as a multilingual speaker I'm aware of the challenges related to learning a second language.
My teaching method is based on the Communicative language teaching approach, which is student centered and focused on the functional aspects of the language. In this approach the student is encouraged to use English since day one, no matter what his level is!
I'm able to help the student to improve his vocabulary, his grammar knowledge and pronunciation.Given my work experience in different fields, I'm confident that I can help the student with business English and preparing fo job interviews as well.
I will use both original and published materials and I will adapt them to the student's level, goals and interests. The lessons will be prepared ahead and I'll give the student some homework to do between the sessions if he wishes.
V. F.
Milton is a very friendly teacher. He makes his lesson interesting for his students and helps them learn the language with customized lesson materials.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Milton T.
Hello =)
My name is Karolin and since the beginning of 2017, while I was still living in Chile, I've been giving online classes. I really enjoy my work and it gives me the privilage to get to know people from all around the world, which is amazing.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but as I lived in Chile for around 5 years, both my pronounciation and my choice of words are influenced by that. I learned and teach the european Spanish but only for beginners (A1/A2). But if you don't mind the chilenean influence, I do teach to a higher level as well.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson (please do NOT by a lesson before the trial lesson, not every teacher is good for every student).
See you soon!
M. H.
Very well prepared, excellent explanation of all of the key grammatical points and very nice and supportive manner made it a pleasure to learn through this lesson.
Karolin G.
Hello, my name is Katerina und I’m a qualified German teacher with 8 years teaching experience.
I would like to help you to master the German language. You will get your personal online lesson via Skype.
If you are interested in learning this world language, just contact me –
I’m looking forward to getting to know you!
G. .
I recommended everyone to choose this teacher ! she's explaining pretty clear and she have a lot of patient ! she helped me a lot to improve my German skills !
Katerina B.
Thank you so much George. I am very happy that our lessons helped you!
Hello =)
My name is Karolin and since the beginning of 2017, while I was still living in Chile, I've been giving online classes. I really enjoy my work and it gives me the privilage to get to know people from all around the world, which is amazing.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but as I lived in Chile for around 5 years, both my pronounciation and my choice of words are influenced by that. I learned and teach the european Spanish but only for beginners (A1/A2). But if you don't mind the chilenean influence, I do teach to a higher level as well.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson (please do NOT by a lesson before the trial lesson, not every teacher is good for every student).
See you soon!
R. D.
I am so happy to be taking German lessons with Karolin. She is an amazing teacher, I honestly cannot believe how much I have improved in the 6 months I have been taking lessons with her. She made me feel confortable from the very beginning, she is always on time and somehow makes me look forward to every lesson. Thanks for everything Karo!
Karolin G.
Since I learn languages myself, I know the difficulties and hurdles that can arise when learning a foreign language. I take away your fear of using the German language, because the best way to learn a language is to speak it!
You want to take a telc or Goethe exam? I will help you! I teach from level B1 to C2. In the course of my teaching I have specialised in students and adult learners from the age of 19 who want to take one of these exams for professional or private reasons.
If you only want to prepare orally for an exam with me, I offer conversation lessons where I give you strategies and tips on how to pass the exam. You will do a lot of speaking and learn the phrases that are most important for the exam at your level.
I'll also show you how to integrate German into your everyday life, recommend podcasts, books and series to expand your vocabulary.
Are you looking for a job and need help with your application? No problem, I give you application training, revise your CV with you and write applications together with you. I will also prepare you for your job interviews.
Don't be shy and write to me before you book a trial lesson. Together we will work out a syllabus that is tailored to your needs and goals. We will learn what is important for you at this stage and where I see room for improvement. I adapt each lesson individually to you.
Due to my eight-year stay abroad in Ireland, I have a very good knowledge of English and can also explain something to you in English or Spanish, but in my lessons we almost only speak German together.
What can you expect in my lessons?
- Creative and professional preparation for telc or Goethe from B1 level upwards
- Conversation classes
- Language lessons individually adapted to your needs, each lesson is prepared for you individually
- Application training and help with application letters, revision of your CV
- Grammar explanations that YOU just need.
- Quizzes, puzzles, worksheets, books, conversation topics and much more. Learning should be fun!
The most important thing is that you invest a little time and feel like learning with me. In return, you should also do the homework so that we can make good progress. I will be happy to correct it. Let me inspire you!
S. E.
Larissa is a wonderful teacher! I have been taking classes with Larissa for the past three months and she has really helped me improve my German. Besides being very kind and funny, she is also incredibly dedicated and always go that extra mile to prepare relevant and interesting classes. She also helped me prepare for a job interview in German, which was a great help for me. I can only recommend Larissa!
Larissa L.
Thank you so much for your valuable feedback, Simone! I am glad that you like our lessons and I can see you advance so quickly, it's amazing! I am only helping you with your German, the biggest, hardest part is your own merrit! I am really delighted to see you progress so immensely! Very, very happy with you and your studies!
My name is Christina and I provide German & French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!
I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier!
L. .
Ms Christina is a fantastic teacher !! She is patient, explains very well and has a lot of material to work with !!! I am sure that with Ms Christina we can learn or improve our German skills, because she has an excellent method !!
Thank you dear Luisa
Hi, I am Christin!
After training as a pastry chef and studying business administration, I traveled a lot and discovered my interest in languages. To find out more about teaching languages, I decided on further training at the Goethe Institute and completed it. During the Goethe Institute "Learn to teach German" course I was able to give individual language lessons and actively support the examination preparation for the Goethe certificate.
My lessons are needs-oriented. That means that learning goals are discussed with you and based on your level of knowledge. Whether grammar, sentence structure, pronunciation, expression or the practice of communication situations: German as a foreign and second language classes are flexible and take place in a group or one-to-one lessons with individual support and are based on your wishes and requirements. The teaching of content and topics takes place according to the respective language level. Building vocabulary, grammar and means of speaking are structured and conveyed logically building on each other. Let's get to know each other in a free trial class. I am looking forward to meeting you!
K. B.
Christin is a great teacher. She is very helpful and flexible, and her lessons are always varied and interesting. I'd recommend her to everyone who'd like to learn German!
Christin E.
German teacher from Heidelberg
A. C.
Yulia is a very nice teacher, with lots of patience and great preparation for each lesson. She has tailor-made each lesson for us, according to what topics we would like to focus more. We are very happy to have lessons with her to improve our German skills, especially our speaking skills, in preparation for our coming exams.
Yulia K.
Hello!
Are you worried that you can't tackle the big journey of learning Russian or English? I would be really happy to help you and do my best to be your guide on that path!
I have a bachelor's degree with honors in teaching foreign languages and linguistics and I have been working as a tutor for 3 years.
With me it doesn't matter, where you are coming from, what your language level is and why you decided to pick up a language. Be sure that at every lesson I will create a very friendly and supportive a friendly environment with individual materials for your needs.
Your goals will be my goals. If you have any doubts, feel free to book a trial lesson (it's free anyway) and I will be happy to answer to all your questions.
A. S.
Katya is a Russian/English teacher who's had experience with beginners in the past. So if you're looking to start learning Russian this is a good option to do so. She has a large variety of learning materials including games and grammar practice and seems to know how to communicate online.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Thank you so much!
Hello,
my name is Nina, I'm from Austria and I also lived for one year and a half in Canada. I worked there as a German Teacher for adults, so I speak German, English and French.
I also teach English for beginners and advanced beginners.
My teaching methodes are totally based on the level of my student. If somebody is already advanced, I focus on communication and pronunciation. We will arrange on a topic and talk and discuss in the lesson about it.
If my student is a beginner, I'm gonna start with the basics of the German language. (the articles, the verb "to be", the pronouns...)
The learning material is all made by myself, because I'm a German teacher, so that means, I already got lots of working sheets for many topics. I send these to my student via e-mail or put it directly on the coLanguage homepage.
I'm available from Monday to Thursday between 5pm and 08:00 pm. For the weekend it's the best to just send me a request.
Of course is a free trial lesson (it's about 20 minutes) possible.
I'm happy to teach you :-)
See you soon! Nina
R. G.
Today Nina helped me to fill out a couple of papers. Thank you Nina for your help and patience :)
Nina V.
Brazilian Portuguese for beginners and intermediates
A. S.
Patrick is a Portuguese teacher who has experience with different groups. It has several learning materials that will help you meet different goals and practice speaking!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Patrick D.