Es war so kalt, dass das Wasser gefror.
English: It was so cold that the water froze.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Nebensätze und Satzstruktur
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Konsekutivsätze are German sentences that express a consequence or result. They show that something happens as a result of something else.
When to use it
Use Konsekutivsätze in German when you want to say that one action or situation leads to another. They are common when you want to explain the result of something.
Key forms
- so ... dass + Nebensatz (subordinate clause)
- solch(e) ... dass + Nebensatz
- so viel/viele ... dass + Nebensatz
Examples
Er spricht so schnell, dass ich ihn kaum verstehe.
English: He speaks so fast that I can hardly understand him.
Sie hatte so viel Arbeit, dass sie keine Pause machen konnte.
English: She had so much work that she couldn't take a break.
Das Kind ist so müde, dass es sofort einschläft.
English: The child is so tired that he/she falls asleep immediately.
Tips
- Remember that the verb in the 'dass'-clause goes to the end.
- Do not confuse 'so dass' (which means 'so that') with 'sodass' (which also introduces a consequence). Both are possible, but 'so ... dass' is more common for Konsekutivsätze.
- Use 'so' with adjectives or adverbs, and 'so viel/viele' with nouns.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Sometimes 'sodass' is written as one word and can replace 'so ... dass', especially in spoken German.