Hätte gern vs. Möchte gern Meanings/ ways used Interviews/ Background Mögen/ wollen Sentence examples More meanings

Meanings/ Ways Used Politeness subjunctives, used "to moderate the tone of an assertion, a statement, a request or a question and make it sound more polite" or less assertive.(1) This is extremely common in all types and levels of German. If anything, it is more common in colloquial German than in more formal German. Könnten Sie mir sagen, wie ich zum Bahnhof komme? (Could you tell me how to get to the railway station?) Verkäuferin (etwa in der Bäckerei): Sonst noch etwas? Kunde: Nein, das wäre es für heute. (Salesman (in a bakery): anything else? Customer: No that’s all for today.) Ich hätte gern ein Wienerschnitzel mit Pommes. (I will take a Wienerschnitzel with fries.) Würdest du mir das Brot reichen? (Would you pass me the bread?) Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? (Could you help me please?)

Interviews/ Background Chris Wymbs: Ich möchte gern – *action/ direct object Ich hätte gern- direct object Leo Dictionary: no hätte gern Translator: Hätte gern- I would have gladly Möchte gern- I would like gladly

Mögen/ Wollen In modern German, the subjunctive form of mögen has become almost a synonym of wollen. Was willst du? = What do you want? Was möchtest du? = What would you like? Hätte gern is also becoming common as a synonym for "would like" especially when ordering food. Wir hätten gern zwei Colas, bitte. = We would like two colas, please. (Note that these polite forms are only limited to the modal verbs, sein, haben and werden.) For this reason, you may hear Würden Sie mir helfen? but never Hülfen Sie mir?

Sentences A.) Ich hätte gern den alten Terminplan wieder! > I would have gladly the old appointment plan again! B.) Oh mailman, ich hätte gern eine Listen-Archiv URL in der e-mail! > Oh mailman, I would have gladly a lists-archive URL in the e-mail! C.) "I enjoy swimming in the ocean" is "Ich schwimme gern im Ozean."

More Meanings (a) Remember mögen is used if you like a noun, i.e. a thing; use gern with verbs to say you like to do something. (b) Use "möchte" for "I would like" (to have a thing or to do something); remember "möchte" has no past tense ==> you have to use "wollte" to say what you wanted in the past.