Subjunctive II 'hätte' (would have, from haben)
Konjunktiv II 'hätte' (haben)
'hätte' (would have) is the of 'haben' for wishes and polite phrases.
Structure
hätte + … (Wunsch/Höflichkeit)
hätte + … (wish/politeness)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Verb
- Word Type
- Subjunctive II
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
hätte is the of haben. It is used for polite wishes (especially when ordering) and for hypothetical statements - English "would have".
It is built on the past stem hatte plus an umlaut: hatte → hätte.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich / er, sie, es | hätte |
| du | hättest |
| wir / sie / Sie | hätten |
| ihr | hättet |
- Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee. - I would like a coffee.
- Hätten Sie morgen Zeit? - Would you have time tomorrow?
- Ich hätte das nicht gedacht. - I wouldn't have thought that.
Common mistakes: Mind the : hatte (had, in the past) versus hätte (would have / would like). Ich hätte gern … is a standard, very polite way to order food and drinks, far more natural than Ich will ….
About Subjunctive II 'hätte' (would have, from haben)
'hätte' (would have) is the of 'haben' for wishes and polite phrases.
of 'haben' (with ); wishes and polite requests.
'hätte' ist der von 'haben' (Wunsch/Höflichkeit).
Caution
hatte (past) vs. hätte (subjunctive). 'Ich hätte gern …' is a polite way to order or wish.