Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil es regnet.
English: I stay at home because it is raining.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Satzstruktur und Nebensätze
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In German, the word order in subordinate clauses (Nebensätze) is different from main clauses. The conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause.
When to use it
Use this word order in German when you want to connect two ideas and one depends on the other. Subordinate clauses often start with words like 'weil' (because), 'dass' (that), or 'wenn' (if/when).
Key forms
- Subordinate conjunction (e.g. weil, dass, wenn) + subject + other elements + verb at the end
- Example: weil ich heute keine Zeit habe
Examples
Sie sagt, dass sie morgen kommt.
English: She says that she is coming tomorrow.
Wenn ich Zeit habe, besuche ich dich.
English: If I have time, I visit you.
Er glaubt, dass du das schaffst.
English: He believes that you can do it.
Tips
- Always put the conjugated verb at the end of the subordinate clause.
- Don't forget to use a comma before the subordinate clause.
- Watch out for word order if there are two verbs: the conjugated verb comes last.
Exceptions and edge cases
- In spoken German, sometimes the verb order can change for emphasis, but this is not standard.
- Some short sentences in informal speech may not follow this rule strictly.