German learners often learn conjunctions as vocabulary — weil means "because," deshalb means "therefore" — without registering that these two words behave completely differently in a sentence. Weil sends the verb to the end of the clause. Deshalb pushes the verb before the subject. Aber does neither. The meaning matters, but the word order effect is what determines whether your sentence is grammatically correct.
German conjunctions divide into three groups based entirely on their word order behaviour. Learning the group is as important as learning the word.
Three Types, Three Behaviours
| Type | Technical name | Effect on the second clause | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinating | nebenordnende Konjunktionen | None — normal word order continues | und, aber, oder, denn, sondern |
| Subordinating | unterordnende Konjunktionen / Subjunktoren | Verb moves to the end of the clause | weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, als, ob, damit, falls |
| Adverbial | Konjunktionaladverbien | Subject and verb invert (verb-second) | deshalb, trotzdem, jedoch, außerdem, dennoch, daher |
Coordinating Conjunctions — No Word Order Change
Coordinating conjunctions connect two main clauses of equal grammatical status. They sit between the clauses and occupy position zero — before the first position of the second clause. The second clause retains normal main clause word order: subject, then verb.
The five coordinating conjunctions: und (and), aber (but), oder (or), denn (because/for — formal), sondern (but rather — after a negation).
Ich lerne Deutsch und meine Schwester lernt Spanisch.
I'm learning German and my sister is learning Spanish.
Er wollte kommen, aber er hatte keine Zeit.
He wanted to come but he had no time.
Wir fahren mit dem Zug oder wir nehmen das Auto.
We're taking the train or we're taking the car.
Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank.
I'm staying home, for I am ill.
Das ist kein Fehler, sondern eine Absicht.
That's not a mistake but rather an intention.
Sondern vs. aber
Sondern is used after a negation to introduce a correction — "not X, but rather Y." Aber is a general contrast — "X, but Y." Das ist nicht rot, sondern orange (it's not red, it's orange). Das ist rot, aber ich mag Blau lieber (it's red, but I prefer blue). If there's no negation in the first clause, sondern is wrong.
Subordinating Conjunctions — Verb to the End
Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause. The dependent clause cannot stand alone — it needs the main clause to be grammatically complete. The defining feature: the conjugated verb moves to the very end of the dependent clause.
Common subordinating conjunctions:
| Conjunction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| weil | because |
| dass | that |
| obwohl | although, even though |
| wenn | when (repeated/present/future), if |
| als | when (single past event) |
| ob | whether, if (indirect question) |
| damit | so that (purpose) |
| falls / wenn | if (conditional) |
| bevor | before |
| nachdem | after |
| während | while |
| seitdem / seit | since |
| bis | until |
| sobald | as soon as |
| sodass | so that (result) |
| obgleich / obwohl | although (formal variant) |
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.
I'm staying home because I am ill.
Er sagt, dass er morgen kommt.
He says that he's coming tomorrow.
Sie geht spazieren, obwohl es regnet.
She's going for a walk even though it's raining.
Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt.
I don't know whether he's coming.
Wir warten, bis der Regen aufhört.
We'll wait until the rain stops.
With separable verbs, the prefix and stem reunite at the end:
Ich freue mich, weil er anruft. (anrufen → ruft...an in main clause → anruft in subordinate clause)
I'm happy because he's calling.
With modal verbs, both the infinitive and the modal go to the end, in that order:
Ich weiß, dass sie heute nicht kommen kann.
I know that she can't come today.
With perfect tense, the auxiliary goes last, after the past participle:
Er sagt, dass er das schon gemacht hat.
He says that he's already done that.
Adverbial Conjunctions — Subject-Verb Inversion
Adverbial conjunctions are not true conjunctions grammatically — they are adverbs that function like conjunctions. The critical difference: they occupy the first position of the second clause, which forces the verb into second position — before the subject. This is the standard verb-second rule that applies whenever anything other than the subject occupies the first position in a German main clause.
Common adverbial conjunctions:
| Adverbial | Meaning |
|---|---|
| deshalb / deswegen / daher / darum | therefore, that's why |
| trotzdem | nevertheless, despite that |
| jedoch / allerdings | however |
| außerdem | furthermore, besides |
| dennoch | nonetheless, yet |
| danach | after that, then |
| dann | then |
| also | so, thus (not "also") |
| sonst | otherwise |
| nämlich | namely, you see (explains preceding clause) |
| zwar | admittedly (used in zwar...aber) |
Er hat viel gelernt. Deshalb hat er die Prüfung bestanden.
He studied a lot. That's why he passed the exam.
Es regnete. Trotzdem gingen wir spazieren.
It was raining. Nevertheless we went for a walk.
Das Essen war gut. Jedoch war der Service langsam.
The food was good. However the service was slow.
Sie ist müde. Außerdem hat sie Kopfschmerzen.
She's tired. Furthermore she has a headache.
Nämlich never starts a clause
Nämlich explains or clarifies the preceding clause — "you see," "the thing is," "namely." Unlike other adverbial conjunctions it never appears in first position. It sits after the verb: Er kommt nicht, er ist nämlich krank (He's not coming — he's ill, you see). Placing nämlich first is a consistent learner error.
Cause and Consequence: Weil, Denn, Deshalb, Daher
Four common words express cause or consequence in German, each from a different group — with different word order effects:
| Word | Type | Word order | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| weil | subordinating | verb to end | states the cause |
| denn | coordinating | no change | states the cause (formal register) |
| deshalb / daher / deswegen | adverbial | verb-subject inversion | states the consequence |
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. (verb last)
Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. (normal order)
Ich bin krank. Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. (verb before subject)
I'm staying home because I'm ill. / I'm ill. That's why I'm staying home.
Weil vs. denn — register and usage
Weil is the standard everyday word for "because" at all registers. Denn is more formal and literary — it's common in written German and sounds slightly elevated in speech. The practical difference for most learners: use weil in conversation and informal writing; you'll encounter denn frequently when reading. Note that denn as a coordinating conjunction ("because/for") is completely different from denn as a modal particle ("then," "so") — context separates them.
Contrast and Concession: Aber, Jedoch, Obwohl, Trotzdem
Similarly, the words for contrast and concession come from different groups:
| Word | Type | Word order | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| aber | coordinating | no change | but (simple contrast) |
| jedoch / allerdings | adverbial | inversion | however (contrast, slightly formal) |
| obwohl | subordinating | verb to end | although (concession) |
| trotzdem | adverbial | inversion | nevertheless (concession) |
Er ist müde, aber er arbeitet weiter. (no change)
Er ist müde. Jedoch arbeitet er weiter. (inversion)
Obwohl er müde ist, arbeitet er weiter. (verb last)
Er ist müde. Trotzdem arbeitet er weiter. (inversion)
He's tired but he keeps working. / Although he's tired, he keeps working. / He's tired. Nevertheless he keeps working.
When the Subordinate Clause Comes First
A subordinate clause can precede the main clause. When it does, the entire subordinate clause occupies position one of the sentence — and the main clause verb must immediately follow in position two, before the subject. This produces an apparent subject-verb inversion in the main clause.
Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause.
Because I'm ill, I'm staying home.
Obwohl es regnet, geht sie spazieren.
Although it's raining, she's going for a walk.
Wenn du kommst, machen wir eine Party.
If you come, we'll have a party.
The rule: the main clause verb comes immediately after the comma. There is no additional subject-first position. Weil ich krank bin, ich bleibe zu Hause is wrong — the subject ich cannot come before the verb when the subordinate clause has already occupied position one.
Two-Part Conjunctions
Several conjunctions appear in fixed pairs. Each part of the pair triggers the word order appropriate to its type.
| Pair | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| entweder...oder | either...or | coordinating |
| weder...noch | neither...nor | coordinating |
| sowohl...als auch | both...and | coordinating |
| nicht nur...sondern auch | not only...but also | coordinating |
| zwar...aber | admittedly...but | zwar = adverbial, aber = coordinating |
Entweder kommst du mit, oder ich gehe allein.
Either you come with me or I go alone.
Er spricht weder Deutsch noch Französisch.
He speaks neither German nor French.
Sie ist zwar müde, aber sie kommt trotzdem.
Admittedly she's tired, but she's coming anyway.
Das ist nicht nur schnell, sondern auch günstig.
That's not only fast but also affordable.
Common Traps
Trap 1 — Using weil with normal word order
The most common conjunction error at B1. Weil is a subordinating conjunction — the verb must go to the end.
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich bin krank. ✗
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. ✓
Weil with main clause order in speech
In informal spoken German, weil is increasingly used with normal main clause word order — weil ich bin krank — particularly among younger speakers. This is a real and documented shift in spoken German. It is not accepted in written German at any register, and most teachers mark it as an error. Know that you'll hear it; don't produce it in writing.
Trap 2 — Forgetting inversion after an adverbial conjunction
Deshalb ich bleibe zu Hause. ✗
Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. ✓
Trap 3 — Treating also as "also"
Also in German means "so" or "thus" — it is an adverbial conjunction expressing consequence or summary. It does not mean "also" (= additionally). Also causes verb-subject inversion and is used to draw a conclusion or transition: Also, was machen wir jetzt? (So, what do we do now?)
The German word for "also" (additionally) is auch or außerdem.
Trap 4 — Missing the double verb-end rule with modals in subordinate clauses
Ich weiß, dass er kommen kann. ✓ (participle first, modal last)
Ich weiß, dass er kann kommen. ✗
Trap 5 — Using sondern instead of aber without a negation
Das Wetter ist schlecht, sondern wir gehen trotzdem. ✗ (no negation in first clause)
Das Wetter ist schlecht, aber wir gehen trotzdem. ✓
Das Wetter ist nicht gut, sondern schlecht. ✓ (negation present)
Quick Recap
- Three types of conjunctions, three word order effects.
- Coordinating (und, aber, oder, denn, sondern): no change to word order. The second clause continues normally. These conjunctions sit at position zero, before the clause.
- Subordinating (weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, als, ob, damit, falls, bevor, nachdem…): verb moves to the end of the clause. With modals, infinitive before modal. With perfect, participle before auxiliary.
- Adverbial (deshalb, trotzdem, jedoch, außerdem, dennoch, also, daher…): these occupy position one of the main clause, forcing the verb into position two — before the subject.
- When a subordinate clause comes first, the main clause verb immediately follows the comma — no subject-first position.
- Weil vs. denn: same meaning, different types. Weil = subordinating (verb last). Denn = coordinating (no change). Use weil in everyday speech; denn is formal.
- Aber vs. obwohl vs. trotzdem: contrast/concession from three different types — coordinating, subordinating, adverbial respectively.
- Sondern requires a negation in the preceding clause. Without one, use aber.
- Also means "so/thus" — not "also." German "also" = auch or außerdem.
- Nämlich never starts a clause — it sits after the verb.