Conjunctions in German are words used to connect words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence. They help to link ideas and create more complex and fluent sentences.
There are two main types of conjunctions in German:
- Coordinating Conjunctions (Nebenordnende Konjunktionen):
- These conjunctions connect words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal rank.
- Common coordinating conjunctions include:
- und (and)
- oder (or)
- aber (but)
- denn (because)
- sondern (but rather)
- When using coordinating conjunctions, the word order in each clause remains the same as in a main clause.
- Subordinating Conjunctions (Unterordnende Konjunktionen):
- These conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause, which depends on the main clause.
- Common subordinating conjunctions include:
- weil (because)
- dass (that)
- wenn (if, when)
- ob (whether)
- als (when - past)
- In subordinate clauses introduced by these conjunctions, the verb is moved to the end of the clause.
Understanding how conjunctions work in German grammar allows you to build more complex sentences and improve your fluency in the language.
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Table of Contents
- Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions in German. Including examples, rules, and word order principles.
- Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions in German, describing how they connect dependent clauses and affect word order.
- Sentence Order Changes
German sentence order changes, including rules with conjunctions, time expressions, and more.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
