Subordinating Conjunctions > Part 1 | 2 | Quiz
German Subordinating Conjunctions
Since it is easier to recognize and use subordinate clauses if you know the German subordinating conjunctions, here they are.
All of the subordinating conjunctions listed in this chart require the conjugated verb to go at the end of the clause they introduce. (See the previous page for examples.) Another technique for learning them is to learn the ones that are NOT subordinating, since there are fewer of those. The coordinating conjunctions (with normal word oder) are: aber, denn, entweder/oder (either/or), weder/noch (neither/nor), and und.
Some of the subordinating conjunctions can be confused with their second identity as prepositions (bis, seit, während), but this is usually not a big problem. The word als is also used in comparisons (größer als, bigger than), in which case it is not a subordinating conjunction. As always, you have to look at the context in which a word appears in a sentence.
| German Subordinating Conjunctions | |
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DEUTSCH
als bevor bis da damit dass ehe falls indem nachdem ob obgleich obschon obwohl seit/seitdem sobald sodass / so dass solang(e) trotzdem während weil
wenn
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ENGLISH
as, when before until as, since (because) so that, in order that that before (re old Engl. "ere") in case while after whether, if although although although since (time) as soon as so that as/so long as despite the fact that while, whereas because
if, whenever
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| Note: All of the interrogative words (wann, wer, wie, wo, usw.) can also be used as subordinating conjunctions. | |
Once you feel comfortable with this lesson on German word order (both normal and post-position), try the word order quiz to test yourself.
NEXT > Quiz • Part 1 | 2 | Quiz
Also see: German Word Order - Part 1 (normal German word order)
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