![German Word Order: Sentence Structure in German](https://d35v9chtr4gec.cloudfront.net/howtostudygerman/articles/HVK4NsqLu4eG2m1Wg2oY-1720793304/pexels-markus-spiske-10101095.jpg)
German Word Order: Sentence Structure in German
German Sentence Strucure: Introduction
First, you can read about the German word order in main sentences. Then, you can learn about the sentence structure of subordinate clauses, the word order of a main sentence as the second sentence after a dependent clause, the structure of question sentences, imperative clauses, and sentences with modal verbs.
The German word order of a main sentence
The main verb (predicate) stands normally at the second position of the sentence. The subject often comes first, and the object is usually found at the end.
- Der Junge geht in den Park. The boy goes in the park.
"Der Junge" is the subject and is placed in the first position. "geht" is the verb, and "im Park" is an accusative object. You could also say:
- In den Park geht der Junge. The boy goes in the park.
You can see that the English translation is exactly the same, but there is a slight difference. In the second example, the focus is on "in den Park" rather than "der Junge." The first example sentence is more common, with the focus on the boy, while the second focuses on the park. In both sentences, the verb remains in the second position.
Examples:
- Die Kinder fahren nach Hause. The children go home.
- Der Student kocht für seine Freundin. The student cooks for his girlfriend.
- Die Jugendlichen gehen ins Kino. The teenagers are going to the cinema.
- Die Freunde spielen Fußball. The friends are playing football.
- Das Mädchen hört Musik. The girl is listening to music.
- Ich sehe den Vogel. I see the bird.
The German word order of a subordinate clause (Dependent Clause)
In a subordinate sentence the verb stands always at the last position. It does not matter which kind of subordinate clause is used (e.g causal clauses or final clauses).
- Der Junge geht in den Park, wenn das Wetter schön ist. The boy goes in the park if the weather is nice.
The word order of the first sentence is the same as in a regular main sentence, with the verb remaining in the second position. In the second sentence, which is a subordinate clause, the verb "ist" is found at the end.
Examples:
- Die Kinder gehen in das Schwimmbad, weil das Wetter sehr gut ist. The children go to the swimming pool because the weather is very good.
- Die Studentin hilft ihrem Freund, weil sie ihn mag. The student helps her boyfriend because she likes him.
- Die Jungen gehen ins Kino, wenn es einen guten Film im Kino gibt. The boys go to the cinema when there is a good film in the cinema.
- Die Männer spielen Fußball, wenn es nicht regnet. The men play football when it does not rain.
German Word order of a main sentence after a Subordinate Clause
The sentence structure becomes more complicated when you start with a subordinate clause and then continue with a main sentence. In this case, the verb comes first in the main clause.
- Wenn das Wetter schön ist, geht der Junge in den Park. If the weather is nice, then the boy goes in the park.
The 1st sentence is the subordinate sentence in which the predicate is placed at the end of the sentence. In case that we 1st use a subordinate sentence then the verb comes at the 1st and not at the 2nd position in the main sentence.
Examples:
- Da die Sonne scheint, gehen die Kinder in den Park. Since the sun is shining, the children go to the park
- Wenn es regnet, spielen die Jungen kein Volleyball. When it rains, the boys don't play volleyball.
- Obwohl der Junge viel für die Klausur glernt hat, hat er eine schlechte Note bekommen. Although the boy has learned a lot for the exam, he has received a bad grade.
German Sentence Structure of a Question Sentence
When forming a question, you often use a question word like "was" (what) or "wann" (when). In this case, the verb also appears in the second position.
- Wann kommt Peter? When does Peter come?
If you do not use any question verb then the predicate is put at the beginning of the sentence:
- Gehen wir gleich nach Hause? Are we going home soon?
Examples:
- Wie geht es dir? How are you?
- Was machst du? What are you doing?
- Gehst du in das Kino? Are you going to the cinema?
- Magst du Sport? Do you like sports?
You can read more about, how to form questions in German: here.
German Word order with Modal Verbs
When using a modal verb, it acts as the main verb (predicate) and is typically placed in the second position in a main sentence. In a subordinate clause, however, it appears at the end of the sentence.
- Die Jugendlichen sollen um 22 Uhr nach Hause gehen. The teenagers should go home at 10pm.
In a main sentence, the infinitive (in this case, "gehen") appears at the end, while the predicate (in this case, "sollen") occupies the second position.
Examples:
- Das Mädchen kann sehr gut Geige spielen. The girl is very good at playing the violin
- Die Jugendlichen dürfen nicht rauchen. The young people are not allowed to smoke.
- Der Junge spielt oft Fußball, weil er sehr gut Fußball spielen kann. The boy often plays football because he is very good at playing football.
You can get more detailed information about the modal verbs in German: here.
German Word order with an Imperative Sentence
When forming an imperative sentence, the verb is placed in the first position. The subject is only used in the formal "Sie" (you) form; all other forms of the German imperative do not require a subject.
Examples
- Geh nach Hause! Go home!
- Geht nach Hause! Go home! (plural)
- Gehen Sie nach Hause! Go home! (formal)
- Gehen wir nach Hause! Lass uns nach Hause gehen! Let us go home!
If you like to read more about the imperative, you can find more information: here.
German Sentence Structure of Dative and Accusative Objects
When you have a sentence with a dative object, then normally the dative stands before the accusative.
- Der Junge gibt der Frau ein Geschenk. The boy gives the woman a present.
In this sentence you can see that the dative comes before the accusative case.
If you use pronouns, then the accusative come normally before the dative.
- Der Junge gibt es ihr. The boy gives it to her.
In this example, the accusative precedes the dative because of the pronouns.
Sentence Structure when Using "And"
"Und" can be used as an enumeration or to connect sentences with each other. You follow the same word order of the sentence the and is refering to.
2 Main Clauses
Example:
- Der Junge geht in den Park und er isst dort ein Eis. The boy goes to the park and eats an ice cream there.
Here "and" connects two main clauses.
Mainclause + 2 Dependent Clauses
Example:
- Der Junge geht in den Park, weil das Wetter schön ist und die Sonne heute sehr stark scheint. The boy goes to the park because the weather is nice and the sun is shining brightly today.
The and sentence follows in this example the pattern of a subordinate clause.
Dependent Clause + 2 Main Clauses
Example:
- Da das Wetter schön ist, geht der Junge in den Park und dort isst er ein Eis. As the weather is nice, the boy goes to the park and eats an ice cream.
The structure in this example is quite tricky and often misunderstood. Many students mistakenly think that the verb in the “and” clause should also be in the first position. However, the verb stands in the second position because the sentence connects a subordinate clause (1) with two main clauses (2 and 3). Since the last two clauses are main clauses, you follow the normal word order, meaning the verb is placed in the second position.
German Word Order Quiz
The word order in German is very challenging. It is helpful to practice this topic with quizzes. You can find our latest quiz to practice the word order in German: here.
FAQ:
Is the Sentence Structure Important?
The sentence structure is one of the most essential grammar topics, and it is important to practice it a lot.
What is the Standard Sentence Structure?
The standard structure is subject, verb object/other parts of the sentence (S-V-O). It is in German very important to focus on the placement of the verb.
Does the sentence structure differ between a main clause and a dependent clause?
Yes, in a main clause the verb come at the first position. If you have dependent clause, the verb is placed at the end. In case that a main sentence comes after a subordinate clause, then the verv is placed at the 1st position.
What are German Sentence Structure Patterns?
It is very essential to focus on the correct placement of the verb, and use at the beginning easy word order e.g subject at the beginning.
Where is an Adverb placed in a Sentence?
The adverb normally comes after the verb in a main clause.
- Tom fährt schnell zur Arbeit. Tom drives quickly to work.
If you have a subordinate clause, the adverb stands still at the 2nd position:
- ….weil er schnell zur Arbeit fährt.
How is the Sentence Structure in a Passive Clause?
You have a form of “werden” plus the past participle at the end of the sentence. The nominative of the active clause becomes a dative object, the accusative becomes the nominative, and the dative remains the dative. For the perfect and past perfect tenses, the word “worden” is added at the end.
Examples:
- Die Aufgabe wird von den Schülern gemacht (Present tense, passive). The task is done by the students.
- Die Aufgabe ist von den Schülern gemacht worden. (Perfect tense, passive). The task has been done by the students.
- Die Aufgabe wurde von den Schülern gemacht. (Simple Past, passive). The task was done by the students.
- Die Aufgabe war von den Schülern gemacht worden. (Past Perfect tense, passive)The task had been done by the students.
- Die Aufgabe wird von den Schülern gemacht werden. (Future 1, passive)The task will be done by the students.
- Die Aufgabe wird von den Schülern gemacht worden sein. (Futur 2, passive) The task will have been done by the students.
Check out this article for detailed information about the German Passive: here.
![Niko](https://d35v9chtr4gec.cloudfront.net/howtostudygerman/howtostudygerman/admins/6n6zvVIj1b5ChV1Q4hJC-1704985245/20230913-150415.jpg)
Article by Niko
Published 12 Jul 2024