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Lesson 221 of 240

New here? This is lesson 221 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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If only in German

Priya and Jule stand in the Hinterhof on Fliederstraße. The tag in Renate's Fundkiste has been there for months, and Priya never asked what it meant.

She wants the months back. Jule will not let her stay in the wish.

By the end you'll say if only, I wish I could undo that, and maybe this can still be saved.

Walk past the ivy. Do not try the lock.

By the end of this lesson

Say you wish you had known, wish you could undo it, and that regret will not help now.

  • Wenn ich das bloß gewusst hätte.If only I had known that.
  • Hätte ich doch früher nachgefragt.If only I had asked sooner.
  • Ich wünschte, ich könnte das rückgängig machen.I wish I could undo that.
  • Wenn ich die Chance noch einmal hätte.If I had the chance one more time.
  • Vielleicht ist das Ganze noch zu retten.Maybe this can still be saved.
  • Jetzt hilft das Bedauern auch nicht weiter.Regretting it now doesn't help either.

Scene — the courtyard

The Hinterhof is quiet after the lunch rush. Bikes lean on the cobbles, and ivy covers the back wall.

Priya waits by the stairwell. Jule comes across from the loft in her yellow jacket, ready for a walk.

Priya waits by the stairwell as Jule crosses the quiet courtyard from the loft.

Learn — if only and I wish

Six lines cover a wish about the past, a wish to undo something, and a way to stop the regret.

You'll look back with hätte, then look forward.

  1. Priya pauses by the stairwell, absorbing the late-arriving fact about Renate and the tag.

    Wenn ich das bloß gewusst hätte.

    If only I had known that.

    When to use it: Say this when you look back and wish you had known a fact.

    After wenn, hätte comes last in a wish about the past.

  2. Jule and Priya pause beside the parked bicycles as Priya regrets not asking sooner.

    Hätte ich doch früher nachgefragt.

    If only I had asked sooner.

    When to use it: Say this when you wish you had asked sooner.

    Hätte at the front plus doch marks a wish about the past.

    Say it: Hätte has ä, an open eh.

  3. From behind Jule, Priya stands by the stairwell, wishing she could undo what happened.

    Ich wünschte, ich könnte das rückgängig machen.

    I wish I could undo that.

    When to use it: Say this when you wish you could undo something now.

    Wünschte plus könnte states a wish about now, not a plan.

    Say it: Wünschte has ü, a rounded ee.

  4. Jule stands among the bicycles and glances back toward the loft as Priya imagines having another chance.

    Wenn ich die Chance noch einmal hätte.

    If I had the chance one more time.

    When to use it: Say this when you imagine having the same chance again.

    After wenn, hätte comes last; this is a wish, not an offer.

    Say it: Chance starts with a sch sound, as in Schiff.

  5. Priya lifts a palm toward Jule as they consider whether the situation might still be saved.

    Vielleicht ist das Ganze noch zu retten.

    Maybe this can still be saved.

    When to use it: Say this when you think there is still time to fix it.

    The verb ist stays second, right after Vielleicht.

  6. Jule and Priya walk past the ivy and the old bicycle without stopping, moving on from regret.

    Jetzt hilft das Bedauern auch nicht weiter.

    Regretting it now doesn't help either.

    When to use it: Say this when regret will not change what happens next.

    Bedauern is the subject, and hilft stays in second place.

Story — the tag she never asked about

Watch Priya in the courtyard as she tells Jule she waited too long to ask Renate about the tag.

The highlighted words are lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. A pigeon lifts off the cobbles. Jule stops beside the parked bikes.
  2. JuleWie geht's?How are you?
  3. PriyaEhrlich gesagt, nicht so gut.To be honest, not that great.
  4. JuleMeinst du den Zettel bei Renate?Do you mean the tag at Renate's?
  5. PriyaJa. Wenn ich das bloß gewusst hätte.Yes. If only I had known that.
  6. JuleGewusst, dass sie ihn schon so lange aufhebt?Known that she has been keeping it so long?
  7. PriyaHätte ich doch früher nachgefragt.If only I had asked sooner.
  8. JuleDu kannst sie immer noch fragen.You can still ask her.
  9. PriyaIch wünschte, ich könnte das rückgängig machen.I wish I could undo that.
  10. JuleDie Monate zurückdrehen? Das geht nicht.Turn the months back? That doesn't work.
  11. PriyaWenn ich die Chance noch einmal hätte.If I had the chance one more time.
  12. JuleKönnte man das auch anders sehen?Could there be another way to look at it?
  13. PriyaWie denn?How so?
  14. JuleVielleicht ist das Ganze noch zu retten.Maybe this can still be saved.
  15. They walk past the ivy on the back wall. An old bicycle sits under the leaves. Neither of them stops.
  16. PriyaIch frage mich, ob das immer stimmt.I wonder if that's always true.
  17. JuleJetzt hilft das Bedauern auch nicht weiter.Regretting it now doesn't help either.
  18. PriyaDu hast recht. Ich frage sie Montag einfach.You're right. I'll just ask her on Monday.

Practice — wish or move on

Eleven short tasks wait here. You'll hear a wish, fill a gap, build a line, and put a talk in order.

Stay with the courtyard: the tag, the months, and whether it is too late.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Hätte ich doch früher nachgefragt.

  3. What do you say?

    You wish you could reverse an action that already happened, as if it had never taken place.

  4. Fill the gap

    If I had the chance one more time.

    Wenn ich die ____ noch einmal hätte.

  5. Pick the reply

    Jule says:

    Glaubst du, die Sache mit dem Zettel lässt sich noch klären?

    Do you think the matter with the tag can still be cleared up?

    And you reply with:

  6. Fill the gap

    Regretting it now doesn't help either.

    Jetzt hilft das ____ auch nicht weiter.

  7. Swap the word

    You wish you had asked Renate sooner, not later.

    Hätte ich doch ____ nachgefragt.

  8. Put the chat in order

    1. PriyaWhat comes first?
    2. Jule…
    3. Priya…
    4. Jule…
    5. Priya…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  9. Which one doesn’t belong?

  10. True or false?

    You say this when you want a friend to look at the same facts another way.

  11. What do you say?

    Your friend sounds sure. You are not sure it is always true.

Say it — say the wish

Now you're Priya in the courtyard with Jule this afternoon. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. JuleDu siehst nachdenklich aus.You look thoughtful.
  2. Priya (you)You look back and wish you had known about that tag.

    Wenn ich das bloß gewusst hätte.

    If only I had known that.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Wenn ich das bloß gewusst hätte.If only I had known that.
Hätte ich doch früher nachgefragt.If only I had asked sooner.
Ich wünschte, ich könnte das rückgängig machen.I wish I could undo that.
Wenn ich die Chance noch einmal hätte.If I had the chance one more time.
Vielleicht ist das Ganze noch zu retten.Maybe this can still be saved.
Jetzt hilft das Bedauern auch nicht weiter.Regretting it now doesn't help either.
Next: lesson 222Not what I expected

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