Wenn-Sentences and the Past Hypothetical

A wenn-sentence has two halves locked together: one sets up an unreal condition, the other states the unreal consequence. In the present you use Konjunktiv II (hätte, wäre, könnte) in the condition and würde + infinitive in the consequence.

• Wenn + Konjunktiv II, [...] + würde + infinitive.
• Wenn ich Zeit hätte, würde ich mehr reisen. — If I had time, I'd travel more.

Present wenn-sentences

Order the words

The condition first, then the consequence:

The past hypothetical

For "if I had done..., I would have done...", use the past participle plus hätte or wäre. Verbs that take haben use hätte; verbs of movement and state change use wäre.

Als ob — as if

Als ob + Konjunktiv II describes what something looks, sounds, or feels like — without actually being so.