Pattern

Er tut so, als ob er alles wüsste.

als + zu + infinitive (formal written)

als zu + infinitive appears in higher registers.

Konjunktiv II

Verb forms may be würde-based in speech when subjunctive is ambiguous.

Practice

Write three exaggerated comparisons about habits using als ob.

Practical Examples

1. German: Er tat so, als ob er nichts wüsste.

English: He acted as if he knew nothing. Note: Used to describe a feigned ignorance, implying he probably does know something.

1. German: Sie sah mich an, als wenn sie mich noch nie zuvor gesehen hätte.

English: She looked at me as if she had never seen me before. Note: Describes a surprising or unfamiliar gaze, using the past subjunctive for a past unreal condition.

1. German: Warum redest du, als ob du der Chef wärst?

English: Why are you talking as if you were the boss? Note: A direct question challenging someone's perceived authority or behavior.

1. German: Es ist nicht so, als ob wir keine andere Wahl hätten.

English: It's not as if we had no other choice. Note: Used to negate an assumption, implying that other options do exist.

1. German: Er plant alles, als ob er morgen schon in Rente ginge.

English: He plans everything as if he were already retiring tomorrow. Note: Describes planning based on an unrealistic or premature future scenario.

1. German: Mir ist, als wenn ich das schon einmal erlebt hätte.

English: I feel as if I had already experienced that once. Note: Expresses a strong feeling of déjà vu or a past, unreal experience.

1. German: Sie benahm sich, als ob sie alles allein entscheiden könnte.

English: She behaved as if she could decide everything herself. Note: Describes behavior based on an assumed, but unreal, ability or power.

1. German: Das Haus sieht aus, als wenn es jahrelang nicht bewohnt worden wäre.

English: The house looks as if it hadn't been inhabited for years. Note: Describes the appearance of something based on an unreal past condition using the passive voice.

1. German: Glaubst du, er tut nur so, als wenn er krank wäre?

English: Do you think he's just pretending as if he were sick? Note: A question probing the sincerity of someone's actions or claims.

1. German: Seine Reaktion war nicht so extrem, als wenn er wirklich schockiert gewesen wäre.

English: His reaction wasn't as extreme as if he had really been shocked. Note: Used to downplay or deny the intensity of a past emotion or event.

1. German: Sie tat so, als ob sie die einzige im Raum wäre.

English: She acted as if she were the only one in the room. Note: Describes self-centered or oblivious behavior.

1. German: Er sprach über das Projekt, als wenn er die alleinige Verantwortung dafür hätte.

English: He spoke about the project as if he had sole responsibility for it. Note: Describes someone speaking with an assumed, but unreal, level of responsibility.

1. German: Die Stille war so intensiv, als ob die Zeit stehen geblieben wäre.

English: The silence was so intense as if time had stood still. Note: Used to describe an unusual or profound situation with an unreal comparison.

1. German: Aus der Ferne hörte man ein Geräusch, als wenn ein Baum umfiele.

English: From a distance, a sound was heard as if a tree were falling. Note: Describes a sound or visual impression by comparing it to an unreal event.

1. German: Obwohl er sich bemühte, wirkte er doch, als ob er die ganze Situation nicht ernst nähme.

English: Although he tried, he still seemed as if he weren't taking the whole situation seriously. Note: Used to describe a discrepancy between effort and perceived attitude, with a more complex sentence structure.