One-Word Conditionals: kéim / géing / wéisst
One-Word Conditionals: Kéim, Géing, Wéisst
A few common verbs have a one-word conditional: kéim (would come), géing (would go), wéisst (would know). Wann ech et wéisst, géif ech dir et soen. (If I knew, I would tell you.)
How It Works
1. The forms
- kommen → ech kéim, du kéims, hie kéim, mir kéimen, dir kéimt, si kéimen
- goen → ech géing, du géings, hie géing, mir géingen, dir géingt, si géingen
- wëssen → ech wéisst, du wéisst, hie wéisst, mir wéissten, dir wéisst, si wéissten
The plural forms follow the n-rule: wa si méi fréi kéimen, but kéime mer.
2. Past or conditional?
Watch the vowel. The past has ou, the conditional has éi:
- hie koum (he came) → hie kéim (he would come)
- hie goung (he went) → hie géing (he would go)
- ech wousst (I knew) → ech wéisst (I would know)
See Simple Past of Common Verbs.
3. Where they are used
- In wann clauses: Wann hien haut kéim, wier dat flott. (If he came today, that would be great.)
- In wishes: Wann ech dat nëmme wéisst! (If only I knew that!) See Wishes With Nëmmen.
- In reported speech: Hie sot, hie kéim muer. (He said he would come tomorrow.)
- In a main clause: Ech géing léiwer zu Fouss. (I would rather walk.)
4. Géing as a helper
Géing is also used exactly like géif with another verb: Ech géing gär matkommen = Ech géif gär matkommen. So géing can mean would go on its own, or just would with an infinitive.
5. Other verbs
A few more verbs have one-word forms, such as stéing (would stand) and bléif (would stay), but they are rarer. See Rare One-Word Conditionals. When you are unsure, géif with the infinitive is always right.
Examples (6)
- Wann hien haut kéim, wier dat flott.
If he came today, that would be great.
Kéim stands at the end of the wann clause.
- Wann ech et wéisst, géif ech dir et soen.
If I knew, I would tell you.
Wéisst in the wann clause, géif in the main clause.
- Ech géing léiwer zu Fouss.
I would rather walk.
Géing on its own means would go.
- Wann d'Kanner méi fréi kéimen, kéinte mer zesummen iessen.
If the children came earlier, we could eat together.
The plural kéimen keeps its n before the comma; kéinten loses it before m.
- Wann ech dat nëmme wéisst!
If only I knew that!
A wish with nëmmen. Nëmmen loses its n before w.
- Hie sot, hie kéim muer.
He said he would come tomorrow.
Reported speech uses the conditional.
Common Mistakes
Using the past koum where you mean would come.
Wann hien haut koum, wier dat flott.Wann hien haut kéim, wier dat flott.Koum is the past (came). For an imagined situation, use the conditional kéim.
Using the present weess in an unreal condition (intended meaning: if I knew, but I do not).
Wann ech et weess, géif ech dir et soen.Wann ech et wéisst, géif ech dir et soen.Weess makes a real condition, which does not fit géif in the main clause. For something imagined, use wéisst.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before One-Word Conditionals: Kéim, Géing, Wéisst, learn Unreal Conditions: Wann ... géif and Simple Past of Common Verbs.
Related Patterns
- géif + InfinitiveWould: Géif + Infinitive
Géif with an infinitive is always a correct alternative.
Level 3 - wier / hättWould Be and Would Have: Wier and Hätt
Wier and hätt are the one-word conditionals of sinn and hunn.
Level 3 - Could, Should, Would Have To
Kéint, misst and sollt are the one-word conditionals of the modal verbs.
Level 3 - Rare One-Word Conditionals (Recognition)
Lists rarer forms such as stéing and bléif.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice One-Word Conditionals: kéim / géing / wéisst in Bubblegum
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