het ware

It Would Be

Level 6

Het ware is a fossilized subjunctive form meaning 'it would be' or 'it were.' It is mostly formal and literary, though als het ware also turns up in everyday speech.

How It Works

The form ware is the archaic past subjunctive of zijn (to be). While the standard past tense is was, the subjunctive uses the older Germanic stem war- plus the archaic suffix -e.

Usage Contexts:

  • Fixed Idioms: The most common use is in the phrase als het ware ('as it were' or 'so to speak').
  • The 'Ware het niet dat...' Frame: A vital recognition item meaning 'were it not for the fact that...'. This is the second most common usage in formal Dutch.
  • Counterfactual Inversion: In formal writing, ware typically replaces als (if) through conditional inversion (e.g., Ware hij hier... instead of Als hij hier was...).
  • Formal Recommendations: Used in phrases like het ware te wensen dat... (it were to be wished that...).

Important Note: This is a reception-only pattern. You should become proficient in recognizing it in formal written style or literature, but you should not attempt to create new subjunctive forms with other verbs. In modern speech, use was or zou zijn instead. Note that in fossilized formal Dutch, ware is often used regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.

Examples (4)

  1. Hij sprak over de crisis als ware het een kleinigheid.

    He spoke about the crisis as if it were a trifle.

    Word by Word: He spoke about the crisis as were it a trifle.

    Here, 'ware' expresses a counterfactual: the crisis is not actually a trifle, but he treats it as such.

  2. Het ware beter geweest indien men eerder had ingegrepen.

    It would have been better if they had intervened earlier.

    Word by Word: It were better been if one earlier had intervened.

    This is a highly formal way to express regret or a missed opportunity in the past.

  3. Ware het niet dat ik ziek ben, dan kwam ik zeker.

    Were it not that I am ill, I would certainly come.

    Word by Word: Were it not that I ill am, then came I certainly.

    This uses inversion to create a conditional 'if' clause without using the word 'als'.

  4. Zij is, als het ware, de spil van de organisatie.

    She is, so to speak, the pivot of the organization.

    Word by Word: She is, as it were, the pivot of the organization.

    This is the most common modern use of the pattern, functioning as a figurative qualifier.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'het ware' in casual conversation or emails.

    Different MeaningHet ware leuk als je op mijn feestje komt.
    Het zou leuk zijn als je op mijn feestje komt.

    Using 'het ware' in a casual context sounds extremely pompous. Stick to 'zou zijn' for everyday hypothetical situations.

  • Attempting to create new subjunctive forms for other verbs.

    Het kome goed.
    Het komt goed.

    A few fixed subjunctive forms survive, such as 'kome wat komt' and 'leve de koning'. 'Het kome goed' is not one of them, so say 'Het komt goed'. Do not build new subjunctives from other verbs.

  • Confusing the subjunctive 'ware' with the plural past 'waren'.

    Het waren beter geweest.
    Het ware beter geweest.

    Even though 'ware' looks like a shortened 'waren', it is a singular subjunctive form. However, in fossilized expressions, 'ware' is often used even if the subject is plural.

How It Connects

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het wareLevel 6It Would Be

Learn This First

The expression 'het ware' is a fossilized subjunctive construction used in literary or formal Dutch. To understand it, a learner needs to recognize it as a form of the verb 'zijn' and understand the concept of the archaic subjunctive mood, which expresses hypothetical or counterfactual situations.

Words in This Pattern