German Conjunctions – Complete Guide with Word Order Rules and Examples

Key takeaways

• German conjunctions fall into three types: coordinating (normal word order), subordinating (verb to end of clause), and two-part/correlative (paired structures).
• Coordinating conjunctions — und, oder, aber, denn, sondern — connect equal clauses and do not change word order.
• Subordinating conjunctions — weil, dass, wenn, ob, obwohl, nachdem and many more — push the conjugated verb to the very end of the dependent clause.
• When a subordinate clause comes first in a sentence, the main clause inverts: subordinate clause, then verb-first main clause.
• Adverbial conjunctions — deshalb, trotzdem, also, außerdem — look like conjunctions but cause verb-second word order, not verb-final.

Conjunctions are the connective tissue of any language. In German, they do more than link ideas — they directly control verb placement, which makes them a grammar topic with real, immediate impact on sentence structure. Getting conjunctions right means getting word order right, which is one of the most noticeable features of fluent German.

This guide covers all three types with complete word lists, detailed word order rules with examples, the fronted subordinate clause inversion, adverbial conjunctions, and two-part correlatives — plus extensive real sentence examples throughout. If you want guided practice, explore German on Promova and build conjunction fluency step by step.

What are German conjunctions?

A conjunction is a word that connects clauses, phrases, or words. German conjunctions divide into three categories based on their grammatical behavior — specifically, what they do to verb placement:

• Coordinating conjunctions (nebenordnende Konjunktionen): connect two independent clauses with equal grammatical status — no word order change in either clause
• Subordinating conjunctions (unterordnende Konjunktionen): introduce a dependent clause — the verb moves to the end of that clause
• Two-part / correlative conjunctions (zweiteilige Konjunktionen): paired structures that frame both parts of a sentence

Why word order matters with conjunctions

German word order is mostly flexible — but not with conjunctions. Subordinating conjunctions create a fixed rule: the conjugated verb must go to the end. This is one of the first systematic word order rules learners encounter, and it determines whether complex German sentences sound natural or not.

Types of German conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions — normal word order

Coordinating conjunctions connect two main clauses of equal grammatical weight. They sit between the clauses and do not affect the position of verbs in either clause — both clauses keep their normal verb-second structure.

The five core coordinating conjunctions:

• und — and: adds information
• oder — or: presents an alternative
• aber — but, however: shows contrast
• denn — because, for: gives a reason (stays in main clause structure)
• sondern — but rather, instead: corrects a negative statement

Word order pattern: Main clause 1 + conjunction + Main clause 2 (both with verb in 2nd position)

Examples:

• Ich lerne Deutsch, und ich übe jeden Tag. — I learn German, and I practice every day.
• Kommst du mit, oder bleibst du zu Hause? — Are you coming along, or are you staying home?
• Er ist müde, aber er arbeitet weiter. — He is tired, but he keeps working.
• Ich gehe früh schlafen, denn ich bin erschöpft. — I'm going to bed early, because I'm exhausted.
• Sie fährt nicht mit dem Auto, sondern sie nimmt den Zug. — She's not taking the car, but rather the train.

aber vs sondern — an important distinction

Both translate as "but" in English, but they function differently. Sondern is used after a negation to introduce a correction — "not X, but rather Y." Aber shows simple contrast without negation:

• Er ist nicht dumm, sondern nur schüchtern. — He's not stupid, but (rather) just shy. (correction after negation)
• Er ist schüchtern, aber sehr freundlich. — He is shy, but very friendly. (simple contrast)

denn vs weil — the most important distinction

Both mean "because" but work completely differently. Denn is coordinating — the verb stays in second position. Weil is subordinating — the verb moves to the end:

• Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. — I'm staying home, because I'm sick. (verb in 2nd position)
• Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. — I'm staying home, because I'm sick. (verb at end)

Both are correct and mean the same thing, but the word order differs. Denn feels slightly more formal; weil is more common in everyday speech.

Subordinating conjunctions — verb to the end

Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause — a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. The key rule: the conjugated verb moves to the very end of the dependent clause. In compound tenses (Perfekt, Futur), the auxiliary verb comes last.

Word order pattern: Main clause + subordinating conjunction + subject + [other elements] + conjugated verb (at end)

Cause and reason

• weil — because: Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Deutschland arbeiten möchte. — I learn German because I want to work in Germany.
• da — since, as (used when reason is already known): Da es regnet, bleibe ich drinnen. — Since it's raining, I'm staying inside.

Condition

• wenn — if, when (repeated/general): Wenn du Zeit hast, ruf mich an. — If you have time, call me.
• falls — in case, if (more hypothetical): Falls es Probleme gibt, melde dich. — In case there are problems, get in touch.
• sofern — as long as, provided that: Sofern du einverstanden bist, machen wir weiter. — As long as you agree, we'll continue.

Time

• als — when (single past event): Als ich jung war, lebte ich in München. — When I was young, I lived in Munich.
• wenn — when (repeated/present/future): Wenn ich nach Hause komme, esse ich. — When I get home, I eat.
• bevor — before: Bevor du gehst, sag mir Bescheid. — Before you leave, let me know.
• nachdem — after: Nachdem sie gegessen hatte, ging sie spazieren. — After she had eaten, she went for a walk.
• während — while: Während er kochte, hörte er Musik. — While he was cooking, he listened to music.
• bis — until: Ich warte, bis du zurückkommst. — I'll wait until you come back.
• seit / seitdem — since (time): Seitdem er umgezogen ist, sehe ich ihn selten. — Since he moved, I rarely see him.

Concession and contrast

• obwohl — although, even though: Obwohl es kalt war, gingen wir spazieren. — Although it was cold, we went for a walk.
• auch wenn — even if: Auch wenn es schwer ist, gebe ich nicht auf. — Even if it's hard, I won't give up.
• während — while (contrast): Er ist optimistisch, während sie pessimistisch ist. — He is optimistic, while she is pessimistic.

Indirect speech and reported thought

• dass — that: Ich weiß, dass du Recht hast. — I know that you are right.
• ob — whether, if (indirect question): Ich frage mich, ob er kommt. — I wonder whether he is coming.

Purpose and result

• damit — so that (different subjects): Ich spreche langsam, damit du mich verstehst. — I speak slowly so that you understand me.
• um … zu — in order to (same subject — not a conjunction but works similarly): Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Berlin zu studieren. — I'm learning German in order to study in Berlin.
• sodass — so that, with the result that: Er hat hart gearbeitet, sodass er erfolgreich wurde. — He worked hard, so that he became successful.

Fronted subordinate clauses — inversion rule

When a subordinate clause comes before the main clause, the main clause must invert its subject and verb. The entire subordinate clause counts as the first element, so the main clause verb comes immediately after it:

Pattern: [Subordinate clause], + verb + subject + rest of main clause

• Weil es regnet, bleibe ich drinnen. — Because it's raining, I'm staying inside.
• Obwohl er müde ist, arbeitet er weiter. — Although he's tired, he keeps working.
• Wenn du kommst, machen wir eine Party. — If you come, we'll have a party.
• Nachdem sie gegessen hatte, räumte sie auf. — After she had eaten, she tidied up.

Subordinating conjunctions in compound tenses

In Perfekt and Plusquamperfekt, the auxiliary verb (haben/sein) comes last — after the past participle:

• Weil er das Buch gelesen hat, kann er mitreden. — Because he has read the book, he can join the discussion.
• Ich freue mich, dass sie angekommen ist. — I'm glad that she has arrived.

Two-part (correlative) conjunctions

Two-part conjunctions come in pairs and frame the elements being connected. The word order depends on their position in the sentence — the part in the main clause follows normal verb-second order; parts that introduce a clause follow subordinate clause rules:

• entweder … oder — either … or: Entweder rufst du an, oder ich komme vorbei. — Either you call, or I'll come by.
• nicht nur … sondern auch — not only … but also: Sie spricht nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Französisch. — She speaks not only German but also French.
• sowohl … als auch — both … and (as well as): Sowohl Mathe als auch Deutsch sind wichtig. — Both maths and German are important.
• weder … noch — neither … nor: Er spricht weder Englisch noch Französisch. — He speaks neither English nor French.
• zwar … aber — it is true that … but: Das Essen ist zwar teuer, aber sehr lecker. — The food is expensive, but very tasty.
• je … desto/umso — the more … the more: Je mehr man übt, desto besser wird man. — The more one practices, the better one becomes.

Adverbial conjunctions — verb-second, not verb-final

A common source of confusion: some words look and feel like conjunctions but are actually adverbs that connect clauses. These are called Konjunktionaladverbien (conjunctional adverbs). Unlike subordinating conjunctions, they cause verb-second inversion in the clause they introduce — not verb-final:

• deshalb / daher / deswegen — therefore, that's why: Er war krank, deshalb ist er nicht gekommen. — He was sick, that's why he didn't come. (verb immediately after deshalb)
• trotzdem — nevertheless, despite that: Es regnete, trotzdem gingen wir spazieren. — It was raining, nevertheless we went for a walk.
• also — so, thus, therefore: Du hast recht, also ändern wir den Plan. — You're right, so we'll change the plan.
• außerdem — moreover, besides: Er ist klug; außerdem ist er sehr freundlich. — He's smart; moreover he's very friendly.
• jedoch — however, yet: Der Plan war gut; jedoch gab es Probleme. — The plan was good; however there were problems.
• dennoch — nonetheless, yet: Es war schwer; dennoch haben wir es geschafft. — It was hard; nonetheless we managed it.

Tips for mastering German conjunctions

• Learn the word order rule first, not the vocabulary. The most important thing about conjunctions is not what they mean but what they do to verb placement. Drill the three patterns — coordinating (no change), subordinating (verb final), adverbial (verb second) — until they are instinctive.
• Master weil and denn as a pair. These two both mean "because" but trigger different word order. Practicing them side by side — weil ich müde bin vs denn ich bin müde — locks in the subordinating vs coordinating distinction in a memorable way.
• Practice the fronted subordinate clause inversion. The pattern Weil es regnet, bleibe ich drinnen — where the subordinate clause comes first and forces main clause inversion — is essential for natural German. Build sentences starting with Weil..., Obwohl..., Als..., Wenn... to drill this.
• Don't confuse deshalb with weil. Deshalb (therefore) causes verb-second order, not verb-final. Many learners produce errors like Deshalb bin krank ich — the correct form is Deshalb bin ich krank. (verb second, subject third).
• Use two-part conjunctions actively in speaking. Nicht nur … sondern auch and sowohl … als auch sound sophisticated but follow simple patterns. Practice one pair per week by incorporating it into any sentence you build.

Learn German conjunctions with Promova

Promova offers structured lessons that guide you through all three types of German conjunctions — from basic coordinating forms to complex subordinating word order and two-part structures. Interactive exercises give immediate feedback on verb placement, and speaking practice helps you incorporate conjunctions naturally into real German sentences.

Final thoughts on German conjunctions

German conjunctions are one of the most impactful grammar topics to master. The coordinating group is simple and requires no word order adjustment. The subordinating group is larger and imposes a consistent verb-final rule that, once learned, makes complex German sentences accessible. Adverbial conjunctions are the hidden layer that many learners miss — they look like subordinating conjunctions but behave differently. Master all three layers, and you have the structural tools to build German sentences of any complexity.