Should Have: hätt ... misse

Level 5

Hätt + modal infinitive + main verb: Ech hätt dat misse wëssen. (I should have known that.) Mir hätten eis kënnen treffen. (We could have met.)

How It Works

1. The pattern
Hätt goes in second place. At the end come two infinitives: first the modal, then the main verb. This is the conditional version of the modal perfect:

  • Ech hätt dat misse wëssen. (I should have known that.)
  • Du häss mech kënnen uruffen. (You could have called me.)
  • Hien hätt net esou vill sollen iessen. (He shouldn't have eaten so much.)

The forms of hätt are: ech hätt, du häss, hien hätt, mir hätten, dir hätt, si hätten.

2. The modal forms

  • missen (from mussen): should have, would have had to
  • kënnen: could have
  • sollen: should have, as advice or duty
  • wëllen: would have wanted to

Each follows the n-rule: misse wëssen, but missen ufänken and sollen iessen before a vowel, and kënnen treffen before t.

3. Always hätt
Even with verbs such as goen or kommen, which take sinn in the perfect, the helper is hätt, because it belongs to the modal: Ech hätt misse goen.

4. In a subordinate clause
Hätt usually stands right before the two infinitives, not at the very end, and adverbs such as méi fréi come before hätt, as in the modal perfect in subordinate clauses: Ech mengen, datt mir méi fréi hätte missen ufänken.

For the present, a one-word form is enough: Du sollts méi schlofen. See conditional modals.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech hätt dat misse wëssen.

    I should have known that.

    Missen loses its n before w by the n-rule.

  2. Mir hätten eis kënnen treffen.

    We could have met.

    Kënnen keeps its n before t by the n-rule, just as before d, h, n, z and vowels.

  3. Du häss mech kënnen uruffen.

    You could have called me.

    Kënnen keeps its n before the vowel u.

  4. Hien hätt net esou vill sollen iessen.

    He shouldn't have eaten so much.

    Sollen keeps its n before the vowel i.

  5. Ech hätt misse goen.

    I should have gone.

    Goen normally takes sinn, but the helper here is hätt.

  6. Ech mengen, datt mir méi fréi hätte missen ufänken.

    I think that we should have started earlier.

    In the datt clause, hätten comes before the two infinitives.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a participle of the modal verb.

    Ech hätt dat gemusst wëssen.
    Ech hätt dat misse wëssen.

    With another verb, the modal does not take a participle. It stays an infinitive: misse(n), kënne(n), solle(n).

  • Using wier because the main verb takes sinn.

    Ech wier misse goen.
    Ech hätt misse goen.

    The helper belongs to the modal verb, and modals always take hunn. So the conditional is hätt, even with goen or kommen.

  • Dropping the n before a vowel.

    Hien hätt net esou vill solle iessen.
    Hien hätt net esou vill sollen iessen.

    By the n-rule, the final n stays before a vowel. Iessen starts with i, so write sollen.

How It Connects

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

Should Have: hätt ... misseLevel 5

Learn This First

Before Should Have: Hätt ... misse, learn Perfect of Modal Verbs: Hunn + Two Infinitives and Unreal Past: Hätt or Wier + Participle.

Words in This Pattern

hunnmussenkënnen