wärest

Wärest is a verb form from German, representing the second-person singular in the Konjunktiv II mood of the auxiliary verb sein (to be). It is an archaic, literary, or formal variant of the modern form wärst. While wärst is common in today’s speech and writing, wärest appears in historical texts, poetry, and certain elevated registers.

In German grammar, Konjunktiv II expresses hypotheticals, wishes, or counterfactual conditions. The full Konjunktiv II paradigm of sein in the second person includes wärest as the form for du. Other forms are ich wäre, er wäre, wir wären, ihr wärt, sie wären. Wärest is therefore one of several historical or stylistically marked inflections of sein.

Usage and style notes: Wärest is typically encountered in classic literature, religious or philosophical writing, and some formal or ceremonial language. In contemporary language, speakers more often use wärst for the second-person singular Konjunktiv II. When used, wärest can lend a formal, antiquated, or poetic tone to a sentence, or reflect the diction of older texts.

Examples:

- Wenn du wärest hier gewesen, hättest du es gesehen.

- Wärest du doch hier, könnten wir beginnen.

See also:

- Konjunktiv II (subjunctive mood) in German

- German verb sein and its irregular forms

- German orthography and historical usage