Two kinds of connectors
German connectors split into two families, and each family has its own word order. Confusing them is the most common B1 error, so sort every new connector into its family immediately.
| Type | Connectors | Verb position |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinating | und, oder, aber, denn, sondern | Unchanged: the verb stays second |
| Subordinating | weil, dass, wenn, ob, obwohl, als, bevor, nachdem, damit | The conjugated verb moves to the end |
| Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. | I am staying home, for I am sick. denn coordinates: bin stays second. |
Verb-final in practice
After a subordinating conjunction, the conjugated verb leaves second position and moves to the very end of its clause. A comma always separates the two clauses.
| Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. | I am staying home because I am sick. bin moves to the end after weil. |
| Ich weiß, dass du recht hast. | I know that you are right. |
| Er sagt, dass er morgen keine Zeit hat. | He says that he has no time tomorrow. |
Subordinate clause first: the verb hinge
You can open the sentence with the subordinate clause. The whole clause then counts as position one, so the main-clause verb comes immediately after the comma. The result is two conjugated verbs meeting at the hinge, separated only by the comma.
| Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. | Because I am sick, I am staying home. bin ends the first clause; bleibe opens the second. |
| Wenn es regnet, nehmen wir den Bus. | If it rains, we take the bus. |
Read the hinge out loud until it feels natural: Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. Verb, comma, verb is correct German, and it proves you applied both rules.
Wenn, als, and ob
Three connectors cover territory that English splits differently. Wenn means if, and also when for present, future, and repeated past events. Als means when for a single event in the past. Ob means whether and introduces indirect yes/no questions.
| Als ich zwölf war, hatten wir einen Hund. | When I was twelve, we had a dog. Single past period: als. |
| Wenn ich müde bin, trinke ich Kaffee. | When I am tired, I drink coffee. Repeated situation: wenn. |
| Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. | I do not know whether he is coming. |
Separable verbs and modals at the end
At the end of a subordinate clause, a separable verb reunites into one word. With a modal, the infinitive comes first and the conjugated modal takes the final slot. In the Perfekt, the participle comes first and the helper closes the clause.
| Sie ist müde, weil sie jeden Tag früh aufsteht. | She is tired because she gets up early every day. aufstehen reunites at the end. |
| Ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich morgen arbeiten muss. | I cannot come because I have to work tomorrow. Infinitive before the modal: arbeiten muss. |
Weil versus denn
Both mean because. Weil subordinates and sends the verb to the end. Denn coordinates and leaves the verb in second position. Meaning is identical, so pick based on the word order you want to build, and keep denn in second place in the sentence: it can never open one.
| Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Berlin wohne. | I am learning German because I live in Berlin. Verb-final after weil. |
Pronunciation corner
These little connectors do heavy work. Say them precisely so listeners hear the clause boundary.
| weil | /vaɪl/ | vile: German w sounds like English v |
| dass | /das/ | duss, identical in sound to the article das |
| obwohl | /ɔpˈvoːl/ | op-VOHL, stress on the second syllable |
| als | /als/ | ahls, one short syllable |
| ob | /ɔp/ | opp: final b sounds like p in German |
Practice drill
Fill in the verb in the correct position, or combine the sentences with the conjunction given.
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank ___. (sein)Show answer
bin
Er sagt, dass er morgen ___. (kommen)Show answer
kommt
Wenn ich Zeit ___, rufe ich dich an. (haben)Show answer
habe
Sie fragt, ob du ___. (mitkommen)Show answer
mitkommstThe separable verb reunites at the end.
Combine with weil: Ich lerne Deutsch. Ich wohne in Berlin.Show answer
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Berlin wohne.
Obwohl es ___, gehen wir spazieren. (regnen)Show answer
regnet
Ich weiß, dass ich früh aufstehen ___. (müssen)Show answer
mussInfinitive first, conjugated modal last.
Combine with dass: Ich glaube. Der Zug kommt pünktlich an.Show answer
Ich glaube, dass der Zug pünktlich ankommt.ankommen reunites into one word at the end.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between weil and denn?
Both mean because. Weil is subordinating and sends the verb to the end of its clause. Denn is coordinating and keeps normal verb-second order. Denn can never start a sentence.
When do I use wenn and when als?
Als covers a single event or period in the past: Als ich ein Kind war. Wenn covers conditions and present or future time, and repeated events in the past: Wenn ich müde bin, trinke ich Kaffee.
Is the comma before weil and dass really required?
Yes. German commas between main and subordinate clauses are grammar rules rather than style choices. Every subordinate clause is set off by a comma.
What order do two verbs take at the end of a clause?
The conjugated verb goes last. So the infinitive precedes a modal, arbeiten muss, and the participle precedes the helper, gegangen ist.
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