1. Introduction
In German, a simple sentence can be part of a complex sentence.
A complex sentence often has two parts:
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| main clause | gives the main information |
| subordinate clause | adds to, explains, or specifies the main information |
A subordinate clause is called der Nebensatz in German.
It often begins with a conjunction or a question word:
| Conjunction / word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| dass | that |
| ob | whether / if |
| weil | because |
| da | since, because |
| wenn | when, if |
| als | when |
| damit | so that |
| wer | who |
| was | what |
| wo | where |
| warum | why |
2. Basic word order rule
In a German subordinate clause, the finite verb normally stands at the end.
The pattern is:
| Conjunction / question word | Subject | Other sentence parts | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| dass | er | heute nach Hause | kommt |
- Ich weiß, dass er heute nach Hause kommt. - I know that he is coming home today.
- Sie sagt, dass sie Deutsch lernt. - She says that she is learning German.
- Wir hoffen, dass das Wetter gut wird. - We hope that the weather will be good.
If the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, a comma follows it. The main clause then begins with the finite verb.
- Wenn er kommt, trinken wir Tee. - When he comes, we will drink tea.
- Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. - Because I am ill, I am staying at home.
3. Complement clauses
Complement clauses answer questions such as:
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| was? | what? |
| wen? | whom? |
| wem? | to whom? |
| worüber? | about what? |
| woran? | about what? to what? |
They complete the meaning of the verb in the main clause.
They are often used after verbs such as:
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sagen | to say |
| fragen | to ask |
| wissen | to know |
| erzählen | to tell |
| verstehen | to understand |
| sehen | to see |
| hören | to hear |
Clauses with dass
dass introduces a message, fact, or thought.
- Er sagt, dass er heute keine Zeit hat. - He says that he has no time today.
- Ich weiß, dass sie in Berlin wohnt. - I know that she lives in Berlin.
- Wir hoffen, dass du bald kommst. - We hope that you will come soon.
Clauses with ob
ob introduces an indirect yes-no question.
- Sie fragt, ob wir kommen. - She asks whether we are coming.
- Ich weiß nicht, ob er zu Hause ist. - I do not know whether he is at home.
- Er möchte wissen, ob der Zug pünktlich ist. - He wants to know whether the train is on time.
Clauses with question words
A subordinate clause can also begin with a question word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| wer | who |
| wen | whom |
| wem | to whom |
| was | what |
| wie | how |
| wo | where |
| wohin | where to |
| warum | why |
| wann | when |
- Ich weiß nicht, wer dort steht. - I do not know who is standing there.
- Sag mir, was du kaufen willst. - Tell me what you want to buy.
- Er erklärt, wie die Aufgabe funktioniert. - He explains how the task works.
- Sie fragt, wo der Bahnhof ist. - She asks where the train station is.
- Ich verstehe nicht, warum er nicht kommt. - I do not understand why he is not coming.
4. Clauses of reason
Subordinate clauses of reason are called die Kausalsätze.
They explain the reason for an action and answer the question:
warum? - why?
The conjunctions weil and da are often used for reasons.
| Conjunction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| weil | because |
| da | since, because |
- Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. - I am staying at home because I am ill.
- Er kommt nicht, weil er keine Zeit hat. - He is not coming because he has no time.
- Da das Wetter schlecht ist, gehen wir nicht spazieren. - Since the weather is bad, we are not going for a walk.
- Da sie müde ist, fährt sie nach Hause. - Since she is tired, she is going home.
5. Time clauses
Subordinate clauses of time are called die Temporalsätze.
They show when an action happens and answer the question:
wann? - when?
The main conjunctions are:
| Conjunction | Use |
|---|---|
| wenn | repeated action or an action in the present / future |
| als | one-time action in the past |
Wenn
- Wenn ich Zeit habe, besuche ich dich. - When I have time, I visit you.
- Wenn er abends kommt, ist er müde. - When he comes in the evening, he is tired.
- Ich rufe dich an, wenn ich fertig bin. - I will call you when I am finished.
Als
- Als wir in Berlin waren, besuchten wir den Zirkus. - When we were in Berlin, we visited the circus.
- Als ich ein Kind war, wohnte ich in dieser Stadt. - When I was a child, I lived in this city.
- Sie war sehr glücklich, als sie die Nachricht hörte. - She was very happy when she heard the news.
6. Purpose clauses
Subordinate clauses of purpose are called die Finalsätze.
They show the purpose of an action and answer questions such as:
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| wozu? | for what purpose? |
| zu welchem Zweck? | for what purpose? |
The main conjunction is damit.
- Ich schreibe die Adresse auf, damit ich sie nicht vergesse. - I write down the address so that I do not forget it.
- Er spricht laut, damit alle ihn hören. - He speaks loudly so that everyone can hear him.
- Wir beeilen uns, damit wir den Zug nicht verpassen. - We hurry so that we do not miss the train.
In a subordinate clause with damit, the verb also stands at the end.
7. Modal verbs in subordinate clauses
If a subordinate clause has a modal verb and a main verb, both verbs stand at the end.
The main verb stands before the modal verb.
The pattern is:
| Conjunction | Subject | Other parts | Main verb | Modal verb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dass | er | uns | helfen | will |
- Er sagt, dass er uns helfen will. - He says that he wants to help us.
- Sie fragt, ob wir kommen können. - She asks whether we can come.
- Ich weiß, dass er heute arbeiten muss. - I know that he has to work today.
- Wir hoffen, dass sie Deutsch lernen möchte. - We hope that she wants to learn German.
8. Separable verbs in subordinate clauses
German has verbs with separable prefixes.
For example:
| Infinitive | Meaning |
|---|---|
| anrufen | to call |
| aufstehen | to get up |
| einkaufen | to shop |
| mitkommen | to come along |
In a main clause, the prefix can separate.
- Er ruft mich an. - He calls me.
In a subordinate clause, the prefix does not separate. The whole verb form stands at the end.
- Als er mich anrief, war ich schon zu Hause. - When he called me, I was already at home.
- Ich weiß, dass er früh aufsteht. - I know that he gets up early.
- Sie sagt, dass sie heute einkauft. - She says that she is shopping today.
9. Indefinite and negative pronouns
German has pronouns that name an indefinite person, an indefinite thing, or the absence of a person or thing.
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| jemand | someone |
| niemand | no one |
| etwas | something |
| nichts | nothing |
Jemand
- Jemand kommt. - Someone is coming.
- Ich sehe jemanden. - I see someone.
- Jemand hat angerufen. - Someone called.
Niemand
- Niemand kommt. - No one is coming.
- Niemand versteht diese Aufgabe. - No one understands this task.
- Ich sehe niemanden. - I do not see anyone.
Etwas
- Ich möchte etwas trinken. - I would like something to drink.
- Er sagt etwas. - He says something.
- Wir kaufen etwas für das Abendessen. - We are buying something for dinner.
Nichts
- Ich verstehe nichts. - I understand nothing.
- Sie sagt nichts. - She says nothing.
- Er macht nichts. - He does nothing.
German normally uses only one negation in a sentence.
- Niemand kommt. - No one is coming.
- Ich sehe nichts. - I see nothing.
10. What to remember
- In a subordinate clause, the finite verb stands at the end.
- A subordinate clause often begins with a conjunction or a question word.
- dass introduces a message or fact.
- ob introduces an indirect question without a question word.
- weil and da introduce a reason.
- wenn and als introduce time.
- damit introduces a purpose.
- If a subordinate clause has a modal verb, the main verb stands before the modal verb: dass er helfen will.
- A separable prefix does not separate in a subordinate clause: dass er mich anruft.
- jemand, niemand, etwas, and nichts refer to an indefinite person, an indefinite thing, or their absence.