Möchten in German: A Complete Guide

Are you learning about German modal verbs? Have you come across a word that is often used as a modal verb but is not quite one? This is the case of the word “Möchten” in German. It is important to learn this verb because it is used in everyday conversations. So let us go ahead and learn all that is available about the conjugation of Möchten, example sentences in which Möchten is used, etc.

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Möchten in German: Introduction

Möchten is one of the verbs that a German learner is introduced to and should learn first. However, learning German verbs is tricky because they have more conjugations than their English counterparts. Therefore, a lot of memorisation and revision is going to be needed. Let us start our learning journey to master the German word Möchten here.

Möchten in German: A Complete Guide

Möchten is a word that is so commonly used that you will need to learn it to effectively communicate in everyday life in Germany. It is an infinitive verb actually. Möchten is a subjunctive form of mögen. But nowadays, we use it in the present tense as a separate modal verb. Similarly, we use Wollen in the case of past tense (we will discuss the differences between the two words in detail in the subsequent section). The correct translation of Möchten is “would like” in English and the translations of its conjugations often mean “would like to”.

The case of Möchten is quite peculiar. It is used as a modal verb often by German speakers. But it is not a modal verb in its proper sense or is listed in the table of six modal verbs in German. Because as we said above, it is a conjunctive II of the modal verb mögen. This verb is used to express a wish.

German Verb Möchten Conjugation

The conjugation of Möchten is given below.

Indikativ

The indicative mood is the one that is used while we talk mostly. This mood is for talking about real facts. Möchten in the indicative present tense is the same as the Subjunctive II of ‘mögen’.

Present Tense

The forms of word möchten in present indicative case are given below.

Präteritum

The forms of word möchten in simple past indicative case are given below.

Perfekt

The forms of word möchten in present perfect indicative case are given below.

Plusquamperfekt

The forms of word möchten in past perfect indicative case are given below.

Futur I

The forms of word möchten in simple future indicative case are given below.

Futur II

The forms of word möchten in simple future indicative case are given below.

Konjunktiv

The subjective case is used for communicating hypothetical situations. This mood is used to indicate a present or future likelihood or a completely impossible event in the past, present, or future.

Konjunktiv I

The forms of word möchten in present subjunctive case are given below.

Konjunktiv II

The forms of word möchten in past subjunctive case are given below.

Konjunktiv Perfekt

The forms of word möchten in perfect subjunctive case are given below.

Konjunktiv Plusquamperfekt

The forms of word möchten in past perfect subjunctive case are given below.

Konjunktiv Futur I

The forms of word möchten in future subjunctive case are given below.

Konjunktiv Futur II

The forms of word möchten in future perfect subjunctive case are given below.

Even though these tables are given, möchten is not commonly conjugated in all these situations. In most cases, wollen is used in past tenses instead of möchten. A more practical table consisting of this information is discussed in the section “Möchten vs. Wollen”.

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How to Use Möchten in Sentences?

Knowing how to correctly use möchten will help you hold conversations masterfully in multiple situations. The word möchten allows you to express wishes, more specifically “wants to” or “would like to” in all types of situations past, present, future and even hypothetical. Some cases in which möchten is used are:

• When you talk about wanting something in a particular moment. This is different from the cases in which a general liking is discussed, where mögen is used.
• When you want to communicate suggestions or requests politely.
• To express that you or someone else would like something.

The table below will give you a general idea of how to use möchten in different cases.

Möchten vs. Wollen

Wollen also has a similar meaning as möchten. But it is often used in the past tense. We also use Möchten when we want to sound more polite or softer.

Conjugation of Möchten in Present Tense

The conjugations of möchten, mögen and wollen in the present tense are provided here as knowing all three is essential for the complete understanding of the concept.

Conjugation of Möchten in Simple Past Tense

Just like in the section above, the conjugations of möchten, mögen and wollen in simple past tense are also provided together.

Now the statement “Möchten is the conjunctive II form of mögen” might make more sense to you. Similarly, the statement “Wollen has the same meaning as möchten but is used in the past tense” could be better understood from this table.

Conjugation of Möchten in Past Participle Tense

The conjugations of of möchten, mögen and wollen in past participle tense are provided here. Take note that past participle conjugated form of both of möchten and wollen is gewollt.

Subjunctive II of Möchten

Möchten doesn’t have a subjunctive II form. But the subjunctive II forms of mögen and wollen are möchte and wollte respectively.

Examples of Möchten in Everyday German

Some examples of using möchten in everyday life are discussed below.

Common Mistakes with Möchten

The common mistake that learners often make in this section is confusion between möchten, mögen and wollen. The best way to avoid this is to learn the rules very well and practise with sample questions. Some tips to prevent making similar mistakes are given below.

• Use wollen for stronger expressions and möchten for polite requests.
• Always pair möchten with an infinitive verb when talking about an action
• Use correct conjugation according to the person.
• Pay attention to the article and case. Forgetting about them will also lead to errors.

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 Möchten in German: Practice Exercises

Some practise exercises for learning the word möchten in German are given below.

1. Er ___________ nicht mitkommen.

• Möchten
• Möchte
• Möchtest
• Wollen

2. ________ Sie noch ein Glas Wasser?

• Möchte
• Möchtest
• Möchten
• Wollen

3. ____________ du noch ein Sandwich?

• Möchte
• Möchten
• Wollen
• Möchtest

4. Ihr ________ kein Bier trinken?

• Möchten
• Möchtest
• Möchte
• Wollen

5. Herr Müller, ___________ Sie etwas bestellen?

• Möchte
• Möchtest
• Wollen
• Möchten

6. ________ Sie (formal) etwas trinken?

• Möchtest
• Möchte
• Möchten
• Wollen

7. Der Lehrer _____ mit mir sprechen.

• Wollen
• Möchte
• Möchten
• Möchtest

8. Was _____ du zum Geburtstag?

• Möchten
• Möchte
• Möchtest
• Wollen

9. _____ ihr mit ins Kino gehen?

• Möchte
• Möchtest
• Möchten
• Wollen

10. Was für eine Wohnung _____ ihr?

• Möchte
• Möchten
• Wollen
• Möchtest

Answers

1. Möchte
2. Möchten
3. Möchtest
4. Möchtet
5. Möchten
6. Möchten
7. Möchte
8. Möchtest
9. Möchtet
10. Möchtet

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Möchten in German: Conclusion

By learning how to use the word Möchten, you are achieving a polite and nuanced expression for conversing in German. Whatever real-life situation you are in, let it be making an order at a restaurant, discussing preferences or talking with a hotel staff, using this versatile verb adds charm and elegance to your conversations. All you have to do is learn the concept, practise and avoid common mistakes made by learners. Knowing such verbs will enhance your conversational abilities, especially in formal settings. Keep learning and improve your language proficiency. Sign up for the Entri Elevate platform to make your linguistic journey more efficient.