als ob

As if (Als Ob)

Level 4

Use als ob to describe a situation that isn't real but serves as a comparison (e.g., 'He acts as if he were rich'). It usually requires the Konjunktiv II to signal that the comparison is contrary to fact.

How It Works

The pattern als ob is the most common way to express 'unreal comparisons' (irreale Vergleichssätze).

1. Syntax and Word Order:
As a subordinating conjunction, als ob triggers verb-final word order. However, there is a very common variant where ob is dropped. When you use only als, the word order changes to verb-second (V2). This bare als construction is often considered more elegant or stylistically elevated in formal writing.

  • Er tut so, als ob er krank wäre. (Verb-final)
  • Er tut so, als wäre er krank. (Verb-second)

2. Mood (Konjunktiv I and II):
Because the comparison is 'unreal', German typically uses the Konjunktiv II. However, Konjunktiv I is also grammatically correct and used in standard German, though it is less frequent. While the indicative is sometimes heard in very casual speech, it is generally avoided in formal standard German for unreal comparisons.

3. Regional Variations:
While als ob is standard everywhere, you may encounter als wenn (common in the North) or wie wenn (common in the South/Austria/Switzerland). In formal writing and standard speech, als ob or the bare als (with V2 order) are preferred.

Examples (4)

  1. Er tut so, als ob er mich nicht verstehen würde.

    He acts as if he wouldn't understand me.

    Word by Word: He does so, as if he me not understand would.

    Here, 'als ob' is used with the 'würde' form of Konjunktiv II, and the verb is at the end.

  2. Sie sieht aus, als ob sie kaum geschlafen hätte.

    She looks as if she had hardly slept.

    Word by Word: She looks out, as if she hardly slept had.

    This uses the past form of Konjunktiv II (hätte + participle) to describe a hypothetical past state.

  3. Es klingt, als wäre das Auto kaputt.

    It sounds as if the car were broken.

    Word by Word: It sounds, as were the car broken.

    This example uses the 'bare als' variant. Notice how the verb 'wäre' comes immediately after 'als' instead of at the end.

  4. Du tust so, als ob du alles wüsstest.

    You act as if you knew everything.

    Word by Word: You do so, as if you everything knew.

    The verb 'wüsstest' is the Konjunktiv II form of 'wissen', placed at the end because of 'ob'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong word order with the 'bare als' variant.

    Er tut so, als er reich wäre.
    Er tut so, als wäre er reich.

    If you drop 'ob', the verb must move to the second position (right after 'als'). You cannot keep the verb at the end if 'ob' is missing.

  • Using the indicative instead of Konjunktiv II.

    Sie tut so, als ob sie keine Zeit hat.
    Sie tut so, als ob sie keine Zeit hätte.

    Since the situation is hypothetical (she likely does have time), standard German uses the subjunctive (hätte) to mark it as unreal.

  • Confusing 'als ob' with the temporal 'als'.

    Als ob ich ein Kind war, spielte ich viel.
    Als ich ein Kind war, spielte ich viel.

    Use 'als' alone for 'when' in the past. Use 'als ob' only for 'as if' comparisons.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

als obLevel 4As if (Als Ob)

Learn This First

To learn 'als ob', you need to understand how German subordinate clauses are structured with the verb at the end. Additionally, since 'als ob' introduces hypothetical or 'unreal' comparisons, you must be familiar with Konjunktiv II (the subjunctive mood) to correctly conjugate the verbs within the clause.

Words in This Pattern

als obob