Könnte gemacht haben/hätte machen können (Questions About Your Target Languages) Language Learning Forum

Könnte gemacht haben/hätte machen können
Tags: Verbs/Conjugation \| German
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Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages

zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6558 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English^C2, Spanish, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew	Message 1 of 5 11 November 2009 at 12:00am \| IP Logged
	Requesting help on these forms of 'He might have been killed' Er könnte umgekommen sein Er hätte umkommen können Anyone want to give it a go and explain these forms to me? 1 person has voted this message useful
jae Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5670 days ago 206 posts - 239 votes Speaks: English*, German, Latin Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, French	Message 2 of 5 12 November 2009 at 6:15pm \| IP Logged
	I'm not a native speaker, however, I happen to be sitting next to a one, and he says that there is no difference between the meanings of these expressions. There are just different ways to say it, though it means the same thing. Viel Spass mit deutsch! 1 person has voted this message useful
zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6558 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English^C2, Spanish, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew	Message 3 of 5 13 November 2009 at 10:27pm \| IP Logged
	Hmm, natives... They both translate to the same thing (He might have been killed) but have distinct meanings -- It is possible he was killed, and it was possible, but he wasn't ... and that, dear people, is what I'm trying to understand. hints? 1 person has voted this message useful
rabyte Triglot Groupie Germany Joined 6036 days ago 44 posts - 46 votes Speaks: German*, English, French Studies: Spanish, Hindi	Message 4 of 5 15 November 2009 at 7:03pm \| IP Logged
	You got the point! Konjunktiv: Assumption Er könnte umgekommen sein - Situation: "We're looking for Tim where is he? It's dark outside...maybe he's dead...;)" How do you say this in English..maybe "he could have been killed!" Konjunktiv Irrealis: It did not happen Er hätte umkommen können - Situation: "Tim is back home, her mother is talking to her husband: What Tim did was so dangerous...he could have been killed!" There must be 2 different forms for this in English too right? Please correct my phrase :) Edited by rabyte on 15 November 2009 at 7:05pm 1 person has voted this message useful
zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6558 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English^C2, Spanish, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew	Message 5 of 5 15 November 2009 at 7:44pm \| IP Logged
	Thanks! I'm not sure that there are two forms in English. "He could have been killed" and "He might have been killed" are both ambiguous in English and can mean both the assumption or the imaginary situation, often resolved contextually. But now I'll look up 'Irrealis' in my grammar book. Edited by zenmonkey on 15 November 2009 at 7:45pm 1 person has voted this message useful

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zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6558 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English^C2, Spanish, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew	Message 1 of 5 11 November 2009 at 12:00am \| IP Logged
	Requesting help on these forms of 'He might have been killed' Er könnte umgekommen sein Er hätte umkommen können Anyone want to give it a go and explain these forms to me? 1 person has voted this message useful
jae Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5670 days ago 206 posts - 239 votes Speaks: English*, German, Latin Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, French	Message 2 of 5 12 November 2009 at 6:15pm \| IP Logged
	I'm not a native speaker, however, I happen to be sitting next to a one, and he says that there is no difference between the meanings of these expressions. There are just different ways to say it, though it means the same thing. Viel Spass mit deutsch! 1 person has voted this message useful
zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6558 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English^C2, Spanish, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew	Message 3 of 5 13 November 2009 at 10:27pm \| IP Logged
	Hmm, natives... They both translate to the same thing (He might have been killed) but have distinct meanings -- It is possible he was killed, and it was possible, but he wasn't ... and that, dear people, is what I'm trying to understand. hints? 1 person has voted this message useful
rabyte Triglot Groupie Germany Joined 6036 days ago 44 posts - 46 votes Speaks: German*, English, French Studies: Spanish, Hindi	Message 4 of 5 15 November 2009 at 7:03pm \| IP Logged
	You got the point! Konjunktiv: Assumption Er könnte umgekommen sein - Situation: "We're looking for Tim where is he? It's dark outside...maybe he's dead...;)" How do you say this in English..maybe "he could have been killed!" Konjunktiv Irrealis: It did not happen Er hätte umkommen können - Situation: "Tim is back home, her mother is talking to her husband: What Tim did was so dangerous...he could have been killed!" There must be 2 different forms for this in English too right? Please correct my phrase :) Edited by rabyte on 15 November 2009 at 7:05pm 1 person has voted this message useful
zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6558 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English^C2, Spanish, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew	Message 5 of 5 15 November 2009 at 7:44pm \| IP Logged
	Thanks! I'm not sure that there are two forms in English. "He could have been killed" and "He might have been killed" are both ambiguous in English and can mean both the assumption or the imaginary situation, often resolved contextually. But now I'll look up 'Irrealis' in my grammar book. Edited by zenmonkey on 15 November 2009 at 7:45pm 1 person has voted this message useful