German grammar by topic › German conjunctions and subordinate clauses, explained

German conjunctions and subordinate clauses, explained

German joins clauses in two ways. Und, aber, oder, denn and sondern simply link two main clauses, and the word order doesn't change. Weil, dass, wenn, als, ob, obwohl and many others start a subordinate clause, and its conjugated verb goes to the end.

Linking words like deshalb, trotzdem and außerdem are a third group: they take the first position of a main clause, so the verb follows them straight away.

The essentials

No change after und, aber, oder, denn, sondern: Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde.
Verb last after weil, dass, ob, wenn, obwohl: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich müde bin.
Wenn for repeated or present and future events, als for a single event in the past: Als ich ein Kind war, …
Deshalb and trotzdem take first position, so the verb comes next: Ich bin müde, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.
When the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause starts with its verb: Weil ich müde bin, bleibe ich zu Hause.

Every lesson on this topic

Each lesson has a full explanation, examples you can listen to, and exercises with answers.

A1 (the A1 course)

Joining sentences: und, aber, oder, denn, sondern: Five linking words that leave the word order alone.

A2 (the A2 course)

weil and dass: the verb goes to the end: Giving reasons and saying what you think with subordinate clauses
wenn or als? Saying 'when': als for one time in the past; wenn for whenever, now, the future and 'if'
Indirect questions: Weißt du, ob…? Wissen Sie, wo…?: ob for yes/no questions, the W-word for open questions, and the verb at the end
um … zu and damit: saying why: Give a purpose: um … zu when the subject stays the same, damit when it changes.

B1 (the B1 course)

entweder … oder, weder … noch, sowohl … als auch: Paired conjunctions for either/or, neither/nor, both/and and not only/but also.
obwohl and trotzdem: although, and still: Say that something happens despite something else, with the right word order for each word.
deshalb, deswegen, darum, sonst: Link two sentences with a result (that's why) or a warning (otherwise): the verb comes next.
Time clauses: bevor, nachdem, während, seitdem, bis: Say when something happens with a whole clause: before, after, while, since and until.

B2 (the B2 course)

Reasons and contrasts: da, zumal, infolgedessen, dennoch, wohingegen: Link ideas in more formal German with da, zumal, infolgedessen, folglich, dennoch, allerdings and wohingegen, and put the verb in the right place.
Conditions: falls, sofern, es sei denn, vorausgesetzt: Express conditions precisely with falls, sofern, vorausgesetzt, es sei denn, im Falle and a verb-first clause (Sollten Sie Fragen haben…).

In the app, these lessons are taught one idea at a time with audio, practised with questions that explain the rule when you slip, and brought back for review on later days.

Learn it in the app, free Find your level