Subordinate clause conjunctions in German are essential for creating complex sentences, as they introduce subordinate clauses that provide additional information to the main clause. These conjunctions convey time, cause, condition, contrast, and other relationships between ideas. Here’s a guide to the most common subordinate clause conjunctions in German, accompanied by examples.
Everything you need to know about subordinate clauses in German
Regarding German word order rules, we must distinguish between main (i.e., independent) and subordinate (dependent) clauses. Subordinate clause conjunctions are used to introduce subordinate clauses. These clauses cannot stand alone as a complete sentence but depend on a main clause to form a complete thought. Here's how they work grammatically in German:
1. Word Order in Subordinate Clauses
When a subordinate clause conjunction is used, the verb in the subordinate clause is moved to the end of the clause. This is a key feature that distinguishes subordinate clauses from main clauses in German.
Example:
Main Clause: Ich gehe nach Hause.
(I am going home.)
Subordinate Clause: Ich gehe nach Hause, weil ich müde bin.
(I am going home because I am tired.)
Explanation: In the subordinate clause "weil ich müde bin," the verb "bin" is placed at the end of the clause.
2. Positioning of the Subordinate Clause
A subordinate clause can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. If the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, the main clause usually begins with the verb, following the German rule of verb-second word order.
Examples:
Subordinate Clause at the End:
Ich bleibe zu Hause, wenn es regnet.
(I’ll stay at home if it rains.)
Subordinate Clause at the Beginning:
Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause.
(If it rains, I’ll stay at home.)
Subordinate Clause in the Middle:
Ich habe gehört, dass er kommen wird, und freue mich darauf.
(I heard that he will come, and I’m looking forward to it.)
3. Subordinate Clauses with Multiple Clauses
When there are multiple clauses, and one or more are subordinate clauses, the subordinate clause's verb is always at the end, even if the subordinate clause is nested within another clause.
Example:
Ich glaube, dass er das Spiel gewinnen wird, weil er sehr gut trainiert hat.
(I believe that he will win the game because he has trained very well.)
4. Subordinate Clause Conjunctions and Modal Verbs
When a subordinate clause contains a modal verb (such as "können," "müssen," etc.), both the main verb and the modal verb move to the end of the clause, with the modal verb in the final position.
Example:
Main Clause: Er muss gehen.
(He has to leave.)
Subordinate Clause: Ich hoffe, dass er gehen muss.
(I hope that he has to leave.)
Explanation: In the subordinate clause "dass er gehen muss," the modal verb "muss" is at the very end.
In German, a comma separates a subordinate clause from the main clause. This is mandatory and helps to clearly differentiate the clauses.
Examples:
Ich weiß, dass du recht hast.
(I know that you are right.)
Wenn er Zeit hat, kommt er mit.
(If he has time, he’ll come along.)
6. Elliptical Subordinate Clauses
In some cases, parts of the subordinate clause may be omitted if they are understood from context. However, the conjunction still triggers the verb to the end of what remains of the subordinate clause.
Example:
Complete Clause: Er sagt, dass er es nicht weiß.
(He says that he doesn’t know.)
Elliptical Clause: Er sagt, dass er nicht weiß.
(He says that he doesn’t know.)
Explanation: The object "es" is omitted, but the verb "weiß" remains at the end.
7. Subordinate Clauses within Subordinate Clauses
It's possible to have a subordinate clause within another subordinate clause. In such cases, the innermost subordinate clause also follows the rule of placing the verb at the end.
Example:
Ich weiß, dass sie nicht kommt, weil sie gesagt hat, dass sie keine Zeit hat.
(I know that she isn’t coming because she said that she doesn’t have time.)
Subordinate clause conjunctions in German introduce dependent clauses that provide additional information, conditions, reasons, or contrast to the main clause. The key grammatical feature of subordinate clauses is that the verb is placed at the end of the clause. These clauses can appear in various positions within a sentence and are always separated from the main clause by a comma. Understanding how these conjunctions work and their impact on word order is essential for constructing complex and precise sentences in German.
The most common German subordinate clause conjunctions
For more detailed information on the use of individual subordinate clause conjunctions and more examples, click on the links provided. They take you to our designated posts and provide you with the information you're looking for.
1. dass (that)
Example: Ich weiß, dass du recht hast.
(I know that you are right.)
2. weil (because)
Example: Ich gehe nicht schwimmen, weil es zu kalt ist.
(I’m not going swimming because it’s too cold.)
3. wenn (if, when, whenever)
Example: Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause.
(If it rains, we stay at home.)
4. als (when, as)
Example: Als ich jung war, spielte ich viel Fußball.
(When I was young, I played a lot of soccer.)
5. ob (whether, if)
Example: Er fragte, ob du mitkommst.
(He asked whether you are coming along.)
6. während (while, during)
Example: Während sie las, hörte sie Musik.
(While she was reading, she listened to music.)
7. obwohl (although, even though)
Example: Obwohl er müde war, ging er zur Arbeit.
(Although he was tired, he went to work.)
8. damit (so that, in order that)
Example: Ich spare Geld, damit ich mir ein Auto kaufen kann.
(I’m saving money so that I can buy a car.)
9. um...zu (in order to)
Example: Um Geld zu sparen, verzichte auf neue Kleidung
(In order to save money, I refrain from buying new clothes.)
10. bevor (before)
Example: Bevor wir gehen, müssen wir das Haus aufräumen.
(Before we go, we need to clean the house.)
11. nachdem (after)
Example: Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er spazieren.
(After he had eaten, he went for a walk.)
12. bis (until)
Example: Warte hier, bis ich zurückkomme.
(Wait here until I come back.)
13. seit/seitdem (since)
Example: Seit ich hier lebe, habe ich viele Freunde gefunden.
(Since I’ve lived here, I’ve made many friends.)
14. sobald (as soon as)
Example: Sobald ich fertig bin, rufe ich dich an.
(As soon as I’m done, I’ll call you.)
15. falls (in case, if)
Example: Falls es regnet, nehmen wir einen Regenschirm mit.
(In case it rains, we’ll take an umbrella.)
16. soweit (as far as, insofar as)
Example: Soweit ich weiß, kommt sie morgen.
(As far as I know, she’s coming tomorrow.)
17. solange (as long as)
Example: Solange du hier bist, bin ich glücklich.
(As long as you’re here, I’m happy.)
18. indem (by, by doing)
Example: Er half ihr, indem er das Auto reparierte.
(He helped her by fixing the car.)
19. sodass (so that)
Example: Er arbeitete hart, sodass er die Prüfung bestand.
(He worked hard so that he passed the exam.)
20. ohne dass (without that)
Example: Er ging, ohne dass jemand es bemerkte.
(He left without anyone noticing.)
21. soviel (as far as)
Example: Soviel ich weiß, ist er heute nicht da.
(As far as I know, he’s not here today.)
22. obgleich (although, though) and synonym obschon
Example: Obgleich es regnete, gingen wir spazieren.
(Although it was raining, we went for a walk.)
23. ehe (before)
Example: Ehe wir essen, müssen wir den Tisch decken.
(Before we eat, we need to set the table.)
24. da (since, because)
Example: Da er krank war, blieb er zu Hause.
(Since he was sick, he stayed home.)
25. währenddessen (meanwhile)
Example: Ich koche, währenddessen kannst du den Tisch decken.
(I’ll cook, meanwhile, you can set the table.)
26. sofern (provided that, as long as)
Example: Sofern du deine Hausaufgaben machst, kannst du fernsehen.
(As long as you do your homework, you can watch TV.)
27. insofern (insofar as)
Example: Insofern ich informiert bin, stimmt das.
(As far as I’m informed, that’s correct.)
28. insoweit (insofar as)
Example: Insoweit ich weiß, gibt es keine Probleme.
(Insofar as I know, there are no problems.)
29. soweit (as far as)
Example: Soweit ich sehen kann, ist alles in Ordnung.
(As far as I can see, everything is fine.)
30. wohingegen (whereas)
Example: Sie mag Kaffee, wohingegen er lieber Tee trinkt.
(She likes coffee, whereas he prefers tea.)
31. zumal (especially since)
Example: Ich gehe nicht ins Kino, zumal ich den Film schon gesehen have.
(I’m not going to the cinema, especially since I’ve already seen the film.
32. außer wenn (unless, except if)
Example: Wir gehen joggen, außer wenn es regnet.
(We go jogging unless it rains.)
33. je ... desto (the ... the)
Example: Je mehr ich lerne, desto besser werde ich.
(The more I study, the better I become.)
34. als ob (as if)
Example: Er tut so, als ob er das nicht wüsste.
(He acts as if he didn’t know that.)
35. obzwar (although, albeit)
Example: Obzwar es spät ist, bleiben wir noch.
(Although it’s late, we’re still staying.)
36. je nachdem (depending on)
Example: Je nachdem wie das Wetter ist, gehen wir raus oder bleiben drinnen.
(Depending on the weather, we’ll go out or stay indoors.)
36. wenngleich (although)
Example: Wenngleich er krank ist, kommt er zur Arbeit.
(Although he is sick, he’s coming to work.)
37. sooft (as often as, whenever)
Example: Sooft ich ihn sehe, ist er gut gelaunt.
(Whenever I see him, he’s in a good mood.
38. so ... wie (as ... as)
Example: Er ist so klug wie sie.
(He is as smart as she is.)
39. je nachdem ob (depending on whether)
Example: Je nachdem ob es regnet, werden wir gehen oder bleiben.
(Depending on whether it rains, we will go or stay.)
40. je nachdem was (depending on what)
Example: Je nachdem was passiert, werde ich entscheiden.
(Depending on what happens, I will decide.)
41. weshalb (why, for what reason)
Example: Weshalb hast du das getan?
(Why did you do that?)
42. indes (while, whereas)
Example: Er sprach leise, indes sie laut lachte.
(He spoke quietly while she laughed loudly.)
43. wenn ... auch (even if, although)
Example: Wenn auch das Wetter schlecht ist, gehen wir wandern.
(Even if the weather is bad, we’ll go hiking.)
44. auch wenn/sogar wenn (even if, even though)
Example: Auch wenn sie müde sind, machen sie ihre Hausaufgaben
(Even if they are tired, they do their homework.)
45. wohingegen (whereas, while)
Example: Wohingegen ich Kaffee mag, trinkt sie lieber Tee.
(While I like coffee, she prefers tea.)
46. wenngleich (although)
Example: Wenngleich er krank ist, kommt er zur Arbeit.
(Although he is sick, he’s coming to work.)
47. wo ... (where)
Example: Zeig mir den Ort, wo du den Schatz gefunden hast.
(Show me the place where you found the treasure.)
48. wobei (whereby, in which)
Example: Es gibt Fälle, wobei ich mir nicht sicher bin.
(There are cases in which I’m not sure.)
49. woher (where from)
Example: Weißt du, woher er kommt?
(Do you know where he comes from?)
50. wofür (for what, why)
Example: Ich weiß nicht, wofür er das Geld braucht.
(I don’t know what he needs the money for.)
51. womit (with what)
Example: Womit hast du das gemacht?
(With what did you do that?)
52. worüber (about what)
Example: Ich frage mich, worüber sie reden.
(I wonder what they’re talking about.)
53. warum (why)
Example: Erkläre mir, warum das passiert ist.
(Explain to me why that happened.)
54. weshalb (why, for what reason)
Example: Weshalb hast du das getan?
(Why did you do that?)
55. wozu (for what purpose, why)
Example: Wozu brauchst du dieses Werkzeug?
(Why do you need this tool?)
Our German language blog also has plenty of exercises on German word order. So go check it out.
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