When learning German, one of the most important steps for building fluent, coherent sentences is mastering German conjunctions. In English, we often use conjunction words like “and,” “but,” and “because” to join information in a sentence. German conjunctions serve the same purpose, but they come with specific rules, especially regarding word order. Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate learner, understanding German conjunctions will elevate your language skills and make your German sound more natural.
Table of Contents
What are conjunctions in German?
In simple terms, a conjunction (or Konjunktion in German) is a word that links phrases, words, or even complete sentences together, allowing you to express relationships between ideas. The function of a conjunction is to connect these elements logically, helping the sentence flow naturally. Conjunctions are also useful for connecting two full sentences to clarify or even show contradicting information.
2 types of German conjunctions
German conjunctions are classified into two main categories:
- Coordinating Conjunctions (Koordinierende Konjunktionen)
- Subordinating Conjunctions (Subordinierende Konjunktionen)
The key difference between these two types is how they affect sentence structure, specifically word order. Surprisingly, the German cases don’t impact how a conjunction is used. Let’s have a look at the two types of German conjunctions and then dive deeper into how you’ll use them correctly.
Coordinating conjunctions (koordinierende Konjunktionen)
Coordinating conjunctions connect German words, phrases, or clauses that are of equal grammatical importance. When using coordinating conjunctions, the word order in both clauses remains the same—subject, verb, and other sentence elements follow their usual order.
Here are the five most common coordinating conjunctions in German:
| German Conjunction | English |
| aber | but |
| denn | because |
| oder | or |
| sondern | but rather |
| und | and |
You probably recognize the first four German conjunctions (und, aber, oder, and denn) and their English counterparts, but the last one, sondern, isn’t a conjunction that exists in English. Here are examples of how each of these conjunctions can correctly be used in German:
- Er mag Schokolade, aber er isst sie selten. = He likes chocolate, but he eats it rarely.
- Ich esse, denn ich habe Hunger. = I am eating, because I am hungry.
- Möchtest du Tee oder Kaffee? = Do you want tea or coffee?
- Ich esse keine Schokolade, sondern Obst. = I don’t eat chocolate, but rather fruit.
- Ich trinke Kaffee und esse Kuchen. = I drink coffee and eat cake.
Subordinating conjunctions (subordinierende Konjunktionen)
In contrast, subordinating conjunctions link a dependent (subordinate) clause to an independent clause. These conjunctions do affect the word order in the second clause, shifting the verb to the end. It’s one of the unique German grammar rules.
Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses, which cannot stand alone as complete sentences. These clauses depend on the main clause to make sense. When a subordinating conjunction is used, the verb in the dependent clause always goes to the end.
Use this chart of the most commonly used subordinating conjunctions in German to connect more sentences and thoughts together in conversations.
| Conjunction | English |
| damit | so that |
| dass | that |
| obwohl | although |
| weil | because |
| wenn | if/when |
These subordinating conjunctions work similarly to English as you can see in these examples.
- Ich lerne, damit ich die Prüfung bestehe. = I am studying so that I can pass the exam.
- Er glaubt, dass sie die Wahrheit sagt. = He believes that she is telling the truth.
- Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren. = Although it is raining, I am going for a walk.
- Ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten muss.= I can’t come because I have to work.
- Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. = If it rains, we will stay at home.
How subordinating conjunctions affect word order
In a normal German sentence with a modal verb, you would put the modal verb before the action verb. For instance, you could say Ich muss nach Hause gehen (I must go home) and see that the verb müssen is written before the verb gehen, similar to English.
However, subordinating conjunctions change the word order of the second clause by placing the helping verb at the end. Make sure to watch out for this in your sentences!
- Ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten muss. = I can’t come because I have to work.
By using the subordinating conjunction weil, the conjugated verb muss goes at the end of the dependent clause. It’s the opposite of English. To make sure it’s clear, check out this example below.
- Ich gehe nach Hause. → Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
- Ich gehe nach Hause, weil es spät ist. → SVO + Conjunction + Subject + Object + Verb
When you use subordinating conjunctions, keep in mind that this change in word order applies only to the second clause in the sentence. The main clause remains the same.
Easy sentence examples to learn to use German conjunctions
Let’s take a look at a few more sentences using different conjunctions. These examples will help you understand how to link sentences properly and in which context they’re best used.
Here, aber links two ideas: the wish to go to the cinema and the lack of time.
- Ich möchte ins Kino gehen, aber ich habe keine Zeit. = I would like to go to the cinema, but I don’t have time.
The conjunction weil introduces the reason for missing the bus in this example.
- Ich habe den Bus verpasst, weil ich zu spät aufgestanden bin. = I missed the bus because I got up too late.
In this one, wenn expresses a condition that triggers an action.
- Wenn du hungrig bist, kannst du etwas essen. = If you are hungry, (then) you can eat something.
Here, the conjunction obwohl introduces a contrasting idea.
- Er hat keine Jacke an, obwohl es draußen kalt ist. = Although it’s cold outside, he doesn’t wear a jacket.
Coordinating vs. subordinating conjunctions in German: key differences
While both types of conjunctions are used to link ideas, they behave very differently. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | Coordinating Conjunctions | Subordinating Conjunctions |
| Function | Link equal clauses (independent clauses) | Link dependent clauses to independent ones |
| Effect on word order | No change in word order in the second clause | The verb moves to the end of the second clause |
| Examples | und, aber, oder, denn, sondern | weil, wenn, dass, obwohl, damit |
Always pay attention to the word order when using subordinating conjunctions. This is one of the key challenges for learners, but once you become familiar with it, using subordinating conjunctions will feel natural.
Other common German conjunctions you need to know
You’ll need to know more than just und, dass, obwohl, oder, and aber. German has many more conjunctions to know, so this chart of German conjunctions will help boost your fluency beyond basic German grammar. At the bottom, you’ll find several detailed examples so you can master using these conjunctions in the right context and sentence structure.
| German Conjunction | Type | English |
| als | subordinating | when/than |
| als ob | subordinating | as if |
| anstatt | subordinating | instead of/rather than |
| ausgenommen | coordinating | except |
| auch wenn | subordinating | even if |
| außer | coordinating | except/unless |
| bevor | subordinating | before |
| bis | subordinating | until |
| da | subordinating | since |
| doch | coordinating | but |
| ehe | subordinating | before |
| falls | subordinating | in case/if |
| geschweige denn | coordinating | let alone |
| indem | subordinating | by |
| insofern | subordinating | as long as |
| insoweit | subordinating | as long as |
| jedoch | coordinating | however |
| nachdem | subordinating | after |
| ob | subordinating | if |
| ohne dass | subordinating | without |
| seit | subordinating | since |
| seitdem | subordinating | since then |
| selbst wenn | subordinating | even if |
| sobald | subordinating | as soon as |
| solange | subordinating | as long as |
| sooft | subordinating | as often as |
| sosehr | subordinating | as much as |
| soviel | subordinating | as much as |
| sowie | coordinating | as well as |
| soweit | subordinating | as far as |
| während | subordinating | while/during |
Als
The conjunction als is used within a time context or for comparison.
- Ich war noch jung, als ich nach Deutschland zog. = I was still young when I moved to Germany.
- Mein Mann ist größer als ich. = My husband is taller than I am.
Außer
You’ll use außer when you need to describe an exception or a restriction.
- Niemand war da, außer Paul. = Nobody was there, except for Paul.
- Ich kann leider nicht kommen, außer mein Kurs fällt aus. = I can’t come, unless my class is cancelled.
Bis
When you need to indicate that an action or event will continue up to a certain point in time or other deadline, use bis.
- Ich arbeite bis 18 Uhr. = I work until 6 p.m.
Indem
If you need to explain the manner in which an action will or did happen, use indem.
- Du verbesserst dein Deutsch, indem du jeden Tag übst. = You improve your German by practicing every day.
Nachdem
The conjunction nachdem is very handy when you want to describe an event or action that has happened after a previous action.
- Er darf Videospiele spielen, nachdem er seine Hausaufgaben gemacht hat. = He is allowed to play videogames after he has finished his homework.
Sobald
Sobald is used to indicate that one action will happen immediately after another action is completed.
- Sobald ich den Deutschkurs beendet habe, möchte ich nach Deutschland reisen. = As soon as I’ve completed the German lessons, I would like to travel to Germany.
Während
You’ll use Während to talk about actions or events that happen at the same time. It can also be used to indicate that something happened during a certain period of time.
- Während ich koche, höre ich gerne Musik. = While I cook, I enjoy listening to music.
- Während des Meetings konnten wir viele Fragen klären. = During the meeting, we could solve a lot of questions.
Combined conjunctions in German (kombinierte Konjunktionen)
In addition to coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, combined conjunctions are commonly used in German to connect two ideas while combining the functions of both types of conjunctions. These conjunctions work by linking two clauses in a way that influences the word order in the second clause while still allowing a clear logical connection between the two parts of the sentence.
A combined conjunction often starts with a coordinating conjunction and is followed by a subordinating conjunction.
| Combined Conjunction | English |
| entweder… oder | either… or |
| je… desto | the… the (used to express a cause and effect relationship) |
| nicht nur… sondern auch | not only… but also |
| sowohl… als auch | both… and |
| weder… noch | neither… nor |
| zwar… aber | but |
- Du kannst entweder ins Kino gehen oder ins Theater. = You can either go to the cinema or to the theater.
- Je mehr du übst, desto besser wirst du. = The more you practice, the better you will get.
- Er spricht nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Englisch. = He speaks not only German, but also English.
- Sie liebt sowohl Pizza als auch Pasta. = She loves both pizza and pasta.
- Er mag weder Schokolade noch Kuchen. = He likes neither chocolate nor cake.
- Ich esse zwar gerne Salat, aber ich mag keine Tomaten. = I like eating salad, but I don’t like tomatoes.
Mastering German conjunctions is easy
Now you’ve got the tools to make your German sentences more dynamic and connected using German conjunctions. Whether you’re linking words, phrases, or entire clauses, mastering conjunctions is key to sounding more natural and fluent. By understanding how coordinating, subordinating, and combined conjunctions work, you’ll be able to express your thoughts in more complex and meaningful ways. And if you’re looking to take your skills to the next level, Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method offers a fantastic way to build your pronunciation and comprehension. Keep experimenting!
0 Commentaires