Subordinate Clauses: weil, dass, wenn
Subordinate Clauses: weil, dass, wenn
One of the biggest word-order differences between German and English: a subordinating conjunction sends the conjugated verb all the way to the end of its clause.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
Subordinating conjunctions send the verb to the end
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. (I'm staying home because I am sick — bin moves to the very end)
I'm staying home because I am sick. — English keeps normal subject-verb order after 'because'
In an English subordinate clause, word order stays exactly the same as in a main clause (I am sick → because I am sick). In German, a subordinating conjunction (weil, dass, wenn, ob, obwohl...) kicks the conjugated verb all the way to the end of its clause: ich bin krank becomes weil ich krank bin. English speakers reflexively want to say weil ich bin krank — that's the single most common word-order mistake at this level.
dass introduces reported facts and opinions
Ich glaube, dass er recht hat. (I believe that he is right.)
I believe that he is right.
German dass is obligatory wherever English optionally allows dropping 'that' (I believe he is right / I believe that he is right — both fine in English). German never omits dass — leaving it out is ungrammatical, not just informal.
wenn: if / whenever
Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause. (If/whenever it rains, I stay home.)
If it rains, I stay home. / Whenever it rains, I stay home.
wenn covers both conditional 'if' and repeated/habitual 'whenever' — context tells you which. Note also that when the subordinate clause comes first, as here, the main clause verb (bleibe) immediately follows the comma, creating a 'verb, verb' pileup (regnet, bleibe) that looks odd to English speakers but is completely standard German word order.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| weil | vyl | because |
| dass | dahs | that |
| wenn | ven | if / when(ever) |
| obwohl | op-VOHL | although |
| ob | op | whether |
| während | VAY-rent | while |
| bevor | beh-FOR | before |
| nachdem | nahkh-DAYM | after |
| damit | dah-MIT | so that |