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The perfect subjunctive with a modal verb uses a form of hätten in the front bracket (F.B.) and the double infinitive in the end bracket (E.B.).
| | Front Bracket |
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| End Bracket |
| Das hätten Sie nicht machen sollen. |
| You shouldn’t have done that. |
| Wir hätten Sie früher einladen sollen. |
| We should have invited you earlier. |
In the double infinitive construction, hätten is used as the auxiliary even if the non-modal verb is a verb of motion which would otherwise take the auxiliary sein.
| Er hätte früher kommen können. |
| He could have come earlier. |
| Sie hätte gar nicht fliegen müssen. |
| She wouldn’t have had to fly. |
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