Dutch subjunctive

???   Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:36 pm GMT
This is following on from a comment on the 'Which is the easiest language for English speakers' thread.

Some one mentioned learning other languages made them more prone to use the subjunctive in both English and Dutch.

I am curious as to the state of the subjunctive in Dutch. How often is it used and does it have a distinct morphological form?
Dutch lover   Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:40 pm GMT
The subjunctive in Dutch
Dutch has the same subjunctive tenses as German (described above), but nowadays they are almost never used. The same two tenses as in German are sometimes considered subjunctive and sometimes conditional.

Some sentences that are used often in Dutch still contain the subjunctive mood:

Leve de koningin! (Long live the Queen!)
Men neme (One takes (found in recipes))
Uw naam worde geheiligd (Hallowed be Thy name (Lord's Prayer))
Zo waarlijk helpe mij God almachtig (So help me God (when swearing an oath))
Het zij zo (So be it)
God zegene u (God bless you)
De HERE zegene u en behoede u; de HERE doe Zijn aangezicht over u lichten en zij u genadig; de HERE verheffe Zijn aangezicht over u en geve u vrede (May the LORD bless you, and keep you; May the LORD make his face shine to upon you, and be gracious to you; May the LORD turn his countenance to you and grant you peace (Priestly Blessing))
The above sentences are all in the present tense; the past tense subjunctive mood of zijn (to be) is also used rather frequently to indicate unreality, something that did not happen. It translates with the English past subjunctive were:

Hij ware gekomen, als u hem geen pijn had gedaan (He would have come, if you had not hurt him)
De graaf sprak over de diefstal van honderd goudstukken als ware het een kleinigheid (The count spoke about the theft of a hundred gold coins as if it were a small thing)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive_mood#The_Subjunctive_in_Dutch
Baldewin   Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:02 pm GMT
And, some people like to actively use the subjunctive, but then they're spoken their own sociolect. The fact it's disappearing is due to the fact they don't teach this tense to school children and German 'acts' as if it's actively part of everyday speech.
Baldewin   Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:03 pm GMT
*speaking their own sociolect.
.   Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:44 pm GMT
<<Dutch sounds like German to me>>

then perhaps you need to have your ears cleaned
Franco   Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:48 pm GMT
German sounds nicer than Dutch