Level: B2 (Rhetoric/Grammar)
Focus: Konjunktiv II Past (hätte/wäre + Participle II).
Part 1: Story & Dialogue
Context: Lisa is annoyed because Max missed her birthday party. Max comes up with a lot of excuses using "would have."
Lisa: Max! Warum warst du gestern nicht auf meiner Party?
Max! Why weren't you at my party yesterday?
Max: Es tut mir so leid, Lisa.
I am so sorry, Lisa.
Max: Ich wäre wirklich gerne gekommen, aber mein Auto ist kaputtgegangen.
I really wäre (would have) come, but my car broke down.
Lisa: Du hättest mich anrufen können.
You hättest (could have) called me.
Max: Das wollte ich! Aber mein Akku war leer.
I wanted to! But my battery was empty.
Max: Wenn ich ein Ladekabel gehabt hätte, hätte ich dich informiert.
If I had had a charging cable, I hätte (would have) informed you.
Lisa: Du hättest den Bus nehmen sollen.
You hättest (should have) taken the bus.
Max: Ja, aber es war schon spät.
Yes, but it was already late.
Max: Wenn ich früher losgefahren wäre, hätte ich den letzten Bus noch erwischt.
If I had driven off earlier, I hätte (would have) caught the last bus.
Lisa: Das sind doch nur Ausreden.
Those are just excuses.
Lisa: Wenn ich dir wichtig wäre, hättest du eine Lösung gefunden.
If I were important to you, you hättest (would have) found a solution.
Max: Sei nicht böse.
Don't be mad.
Max: Ich hätte dir ein tolles Geschenk mitgebracht.
I hätte (would have) brought you a great gift.
Lisa: Hätte, hätte, Fahrradkette.
(Idiom: "Woulda, coulda, shoulda" - lit: bicycle chain).
Lisa: Nächstes Mal erwarte ich mehr.
Next time I expect more.
Part 2: Grammar Focus
Topic: The Formula for the Past
To talk about things that didn't happen (but could have), you need the Past Participle (ge-form) combined with the Konjunktiv II of haben or sein.
1. The Formula
With Haben-Verbs:
Real Past: Ich habe den Kuchen gegessen.
Irreal Past: Ich hätte den Kuchen gegessen. (I would have eaten it... but I didn't).
With Sein-Verbs (Movement/Change):
Real Past: Ich bin nach Hause gegangen.
Irreal Past: Ich wäre nach Hause gegangen. (I would have gone home... but I stayed).
2. The "If" Clause (Bedingungssatz)
When you combine this with Wenn, you often put the conjugated verb at the End.
Wenn ich Zeit gehabt hätte, wäre ich gekommen.
(If I time had had, would be I come).
3. "Could have" and "Should have" (Double Infinitives)
This is high-level grammar. If you use Modal Verbs (können/sollen/müssen) in the past Konjunktiv, the grammar changes slightly. You use hätte + two infinitives.
Simple: Du hast es gemacht. - Du hättest es machen sollen. (You should have done it).
Simple: Du hast angerufen. - Du hättest anrufen können. (You could have called).
Part 3: Vocabulary Section (Regret & Excuses)
German Phrase: Es wäre besser gewesen, wenn...
English Meaning: It would have been better if...
Context: Analyzing a mistake.
German Phrase: Ich hätte daran denken müssen.
English Meaning: I should have thought of that.
Context: Self-criticism.
German Phrase: Hätte ich das nur gewusst!
English Meaning: If only I had known that!
Context: Strong regret (omit "Wenn").
German Phrase: Das hätte nicht passieren dürfen.
English Meaning: That shouldn't have happened.
Context: Criticizing an accident/failure.
German Phrase: Ich hätte es fast geschafft.
English Meaning: I almost made it (would have almost made it).
Context: Describing a close call.
German Phrase: An deiner Stelle hätte ich...
English Meaning: In your place, I would have...
Context: Giving advice about the past.
Part 4: The Excuse Generator
Transform the "Reality" into an "Excuse" (Irrealis Past).
Reality: I had no money. I didn't buy the car.
Excuse: If I had had money, I would have bought the car.
German: Wenn ich Geld gehabt hätte, hätte ich das Auto gekauft.
Reality: He was sick. He didn't come.
Excuse: If he had not been sick, he would have come.
German: Wenn er nicht krank gewesen wäre, wäre er gekommen.
Reality: I didn't know that. I made a mistake.
Excuse: If I had known that, I would not have made the mistake.
German: Wenn ich das gewusst hätte, hätte ich den Fehler nicht gemacht.