A beginner walks into a café and wants to order. They've learned that möchten means "would like," so they say "Ich möchte einen Kaffee." Perfect. Then someone asks if they like coffee and they say "Ja, ich möchte Kaffee" — and now they've said "yes, I would like coffee" instead of "yes, I like coffee." The person asking might wait for them to order.
The mix-up goes both directions. Some learners use mögen to order things and sound oddly emotional about their coffee. Others avoid mögen entirely and use möchten for everything. Neither works. The verbs are different in meaning, different in grammar, and used in different situations.
Where the Confusion Comes From
Möchten is not a standalone verb. It is the Konjunktiv II form of mögen — technically, the subjunctive past of the same verb. In modern German, möchten has drifted so far from mögen in everyday meaning and usage that they function as two separate verbs. Textbooks sometimes present them together under one entry, which implies they're interchangeable. They are not.
Think of them as a pair that share a root but have gone their separate ways: mögen stayed as a verb of feeling, möchten became a polite expression of wanting. Different function, different grammar, different situations.
Mögen — To Like
Mögen expresses a feeling of liking — a preference, an affection, a taste for something. It describes a general, ongoing state rather than a specific request in the moment.
Ich mag Kaffee.
I like coffee. (general preference)
Magst du klassische Musik?
Do you like classical music?
Er mag seinen Chef nicht.
He doesn't like his boss.
Wir mögen dieses Restaurant sehr.
We like this restaurant a lot.
Sie mag keine Spinnen.
She doesn't like spiders.
Mögen is used without an infinitive in these cases — it takes a direct noun object. You like the thing itself. You're not expressing a desire to do something with it; you're expressing how you feel about it.
Möchten — Would Like
Möchten expresses a polite wish or desire — something you want right now, in this situation. It's the standard form for making requests and expressing immediate wants. English "would like" is the closest equivalent.
Ich möchte einen Kaffee.
I would like a coffee. (ordering, requesting)
Möchtest du etwas trinken?
Would you like something to drink?
Sie möchte nach Hause gehen.
She would like to go home.
Wir möchten einen Tisch reservieren.
We would like to reserve a table.
Möchten Sie noch etwas?
Would you like anything else?
Möchten expresses a desire to have or do something — a specific want tied to the current moment or situation. It's polite by nature. Using wollen instead is grammatically correct but sounds considerably blunter.
Conjugation Side by Side
Both verbs are irregular in the present tense. The singular forms of mögen use the stem mag- rather than mög-. Möchten has no infinitive of its own — it conjugates as if it were a present tense but is grammatically a subjunctive form, which is why ich and er/sie/es are identical (a hallmark of Konjunktiv II).
| Person | mögen (to like) | möchten (would like) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mag | möchte |
| du | magst | möchtest |
| er/sie/es | mag | möchte |
| wir | mögen | möchten |
| ihr | mögt | möchtet |
| sie/Sie | mögen | möchten |
Möchten has no past tense
Because möchten is already a subjunctive form, it has no simple past of its own. To express "wanted" in the past, German uses wollte (from wollen) or hätte gerne. You will never see möchtete — it doesn't exist.
With an Infinitive
Möchten regularly appears with a dependent infinitive — you want to do something. The infinitive goes to the end of the clause, just like other modal verbs.
Ich möchte schlafen.
I would like to sleep.
Er möchte Arzt werden.
He would like to become a doctor.
Wir möchten heute Abend ins Kino gehen.
We would like to go to the cinema tonight.
Mögen can technically appear with an infinitive too, but it's rare in modern spoken German and sounds formal or literary. The construction ich mag nicht gehen (I don't want to go / I don't feel like going) exists but is considerably less common than using möchten or wollen.
Ich mag nicht schlafen. (literary / formal — I don't feel like sleeping)
Ich möchte nicht schlafen. (normal spoken German — I don't want to sleep)
In everyday speech, when you want to express not wanting to do something, use möchten or wollen — not mögen with an infinitive.
Negation — Nicht mögen vs. Nicht möchten
Both verbs negate with nicht or kein, but the meaning difference remains in the negative.
Ich mag keinen Fisch.
I don't like fish. (general dislike)
Ich möchte keinen Fisch.
I don't want fish / I wouldn't like fish. (declining right now)
Ich mag ihn nicht.
I don't like him. (feeling)
Ich möchte ihn nicht sehen.
I don't want to see him. (desire/intention)
In a restaurant, ich mag keinen Fisch tells the waiter something about your general preferences. Ich möchte keinen Fisch declines the fish from tonight's menu. Both are valid — they mean different things.
Mögen as a Modal — Concession and Possibility
Mögen has a second function beyond liking — it appears in formal and written German to express concession (granting that something may be true) or possibility. This use is mostly encountered in reading rather than everyday conversation.
Das mag stimmen.
That may be true. / That might be correct.
Er mag recht haben.
He may be right.
Mag sein.
Could be. / Maybe so. (set expression)
So alt sie auch sein mag — sie arbeitet noch.
However old she may be — she still works. (concessive)
This use of mögen is not something beginners need to produce, but it appears often enough in written German that recognizing it matters.
Common Traps
Trap 1 — Using möchten to express a general preference
Ich mag Schokolade. ✓ (I like chocolate — general)
Ich möchte Schokolade. ✓ (I would like chocolate — right now, as a request)
Both are grammatically correct but say different things. If someone asks whether you like chocolate and you answer ich möchte Schokolade, you've answered a different question.
Trap 2 — Using mögen to order or make requests
Ich möchte ein Wasser, bitte. ✓
Ich mag ein Wasser, bitte. ✗ (grammatically odd — you're expressing fondness, not ordering)
Trap 3 — Inventing a past tense for möchten
Ich wollte gestern ins Kino gehen. ✓ (past of wanting — use wollen)
Ich möchtete gestern ins Kino gehen. ✗ (does not exist)
Trap 4 — Mögen with an infinitive in everyday speech
Ich möchte nicht ausgehen. ✓ (normal)
Ich mag nicht ausgehen. (sounds old-fashioned or literary in most contexts)
Quick Recap
- Mögen = to like. A feeling, a general preference. Takes a noun object. Ich mag Kaffee.
- Möchten = would like. A polite want or request, tied to a specific moment or situation. Ich möchte einen Kaffee.
- They are not interchangeable. One describes how you feel. The other describes what you want right now.
- Möchten conjugates with identical ich/er forms (möchte) — a giveaway that it's Konjunktiv II.
- Möchten has no past tense. Use wollte or hätte gerne for past wanting.
- Möchten + infinitive is the standard pattern for wanting to do something. Mögen + infinitive exists but is rare and literary in modern spoken German.
- Mögen also expresses possibility and concession in formal/written German: das mag stimmen.
- In restaurants: mögen states a preference, möchten places an order.