Subordinate Clauses (weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, als)

Subordinate clauses (Nebensätze) are a fundamental part of German sentence structure. They allow you to express reasons, opinions, conditions, contrasts, and time relationships. The defining feature of German subordinate clauses is their word order: the conjugated verb moves to the end of the clause.

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The Core Rule: Verb Goes to the End

In a German subordinate clause, the conjugated verb is placed at the very end of the clause:

Main clause (verb second)	Subordinate clause (verb last)
Ich bleibe zu Hause.	...weil ich krank bin.
Er sagt etwas.	...dass er kommen wird.

Compare the word order:

• Main clause: Subject + Verb + Rest → Ich bin krank.
• Subordinate clause: Conjunction + Subject + Rest + Verb → ...weil ich krank bin.

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dass (that) — Stating Facts, Opinions, and Reported Information

Dass introduces a clause that describes a fact, belief, statement, or feeling:

Example	Translation
Ich weiß, dass du recht hast.	I know that you are right.
Er sagt, dass er morgen kommt.	He says that he is coming tomorrow.
Es ist wichtig, dass wir pünktlich sind.	It is important that we are on time.
Ich hoffe, dass das Wetter gut wird.	I hope that the weather will be good.
Ich bin froh, dass du hier bist.	I am glad that you are here.

Dass is one of the most frequent conjunctions in German. Note: in spoken German, dass is sometimes omitted, and the clause uses main-clause word order: Ich weiß, du hast recht. However, this is informal.

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weil (because) — Giving Reasons

Weil introduces a reason or cause:

Example	Translation
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Berlin arbeite.	I am learning German because I work in Berlin.
Er bleibt zu Hause, weil er krank ist.	He is staying at home because he is sick.
Wir können nicht kommen, weil wir keine Zeit haben.	We cannot come because we have no time.
Sie weint, weil der Film traurig war.	She is crying because the film was sad.

weil vs denn

Both mean "because," but they have different word orders:

Conjunction	Word Order	Example
weil (subordinating)	Verb at end	Ich bleibe, weil ich müde bin.
denn (coordinating)	Verb second (normal)	Ich bleibe, denn ich bin müde.

The meaning is the same, but the structure differs. Weil is more common in both speech and writing.

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obwohl (although) — Expressing Contrast

Obwohl introduces a clause that contrasts with or contradicts the main clause:

Example	Translation
Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir spazieren.	Although it is raining, we are going for a walk.
Er arbeitet weiter, obwohl er müde ist.	He keeps working although he is tired.
Sie hat die Prüfung bestanden, obwohl sie nicht viel gelernt hat.	She passed the exam although she did not study much.
Obwohl er kein Deutsch spricht, lebt er in Deutschland.	Although he does not speak German, he lives in Germany.

When obwohl starts the sentence, the main clause begins with the verb (verb-first in the main clause after a subordinate clause).

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wenn (if / when / whenever) — Conditions and Repeated Events

Wenn is one of the most versatile conjunctions in German:

Conditional (if)

Example	Translation
Wenn du möchtest, können wir gehen.	If you want, we can go.
Ich helfe dir, wenn du mich fragst.	I will help you if you ask me.
Wenn es morgen regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause.	If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home.

Repeated events in the present (whenever)

Example	Translation
Wenn ich nach Hause komme, koche ich Abendessen.	Whenever I come home, I cook dinner.
Ich bin immer müde, wenn ich früh aufstehe.	I am always tired whenever I get up early.

Repeated events in the past (whenever)

Example	Translation
Wenn wir als Kinder in den Park gingen, spielten wir Fußball.	Whenever we went to the park as children, we played football.
Immer wenn sie uns besuchte, brachte sie Kuchen mit.	Whenever she visited us, she brought cake.

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als (when) — Single Past Events