Subordinierende Konjunktionen – Subordinate Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions join unequal clauses: one independent and one dependent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words that contain a subject and a verb, but do not express a complete thought, it is dependent on the main part of the sentence for meaning.
| Der Vater schickt seine Kinder zum Supermarkt, weil es nichts zum Abendessen gibt. | The father sends his children to the grocery store because there isn’t anything for dinner. |
| Damit sie Pizza zum Abendessen kochen können, kaufen die Kinder Pizzateig, Käse, Tomatensoße und Salami. | So that they could have pizza for dinner, the children buy pizza dough, cheese, tomato sauce and salami. |
| Ich hätte eine eingefrorene Pizza gekauft, wenn ich die Kinder wäre! | I would have bought a frozen pizza if I were them! |
| Obwohl die Pizza gut geschmeckt hat, war das viel Arbeit. | Although the pizza tasted good it was a lot of work. |
Subordinate Conjunctions: Although there are several more subordinating conjunctions, these are the most commonly used ones:
| als ob … | => | as if | obwohl | => | although | |
| bevor | => | before | ohne dass … | => | without … + ing | |
| bis | => | until | seitdem | => | since, ever since (time) | |
| da | => | because, as, since | so dass … | => | so that | |
| damit | => | so that | sobald | => | as soon as | |
| dass | => | that | solange | => | as long as | |
| nachdem | => | after | während | => | while, during | |
| ob | => | whether | weil | => | because |
Word order with subordinating conjunctions
In the clause that is introduced with the subordinating conjunction, the conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause. The conjugated verb will follow all elements that usually are required to go to the end, like dependent verbs and participles.
There are two types of word order that you should see with subordinating conjunctions:
1. Independent clause first, dependent clause second. In this case, the conjugated verb in the independent clause is in the second position, while the conjugated verb in the dependent clause goes to the end of that clause.
| Wir STELLEN den Backofen an, damit wir die Pizza kochen können. | We turn the oven on so that we can cook the pizza. |
2. Dependent clause first, independent clause second. In this case, the conjugated verb in the dependent clause still goes to the end of that clause, but the conjugated verb in the independent clause comes ‘first’ (it is actually still second position, because the entire dependent clause fills the first slot).
|
Weil die Pizza gebrannt ist, MÜSST ihr eine neue Pizza kochen! |
Because the pizza is burnt, you guys have to cook a new one! |
Other types of subordinating conjunctions
1. Fragewörter – question words: these can be used in sentences where one of the clauses was originally a question.
| was (what) | wer (who) | wie (how) | wo (where) | warum (why) | wie viele (how many) etc. |
| Ich weiß, wo die beste Pizza ist. | I know where the best pizza is. |
| Ich weiß aber nicht, wie ich dorthin komme. | I don’t know, though, how to get there. |
| Wer weiß, warum er nicht Pizza essen wollte. | Who knows why he didn’t want to eat pizza. |
| Ich frage (mich), warum er unser Freund ist! | I wonder why he’s our friend! |
| Wir verstehen nicht, was er essen will. | We don’t understand what he wants to eat. |
2. als, wenn, wann: In English there is one word for all of these, namely when. In German, however, these three words are used in different contexts.
Als: refers to a one-time event in the past or a one-time event that happens exactly at the same moment as another one.
| Die Kinder waren noch wach, als der Vater nach Hause gekommen ist. | The children were still awake when the father got home. |
| Gretel gibt dem Vater einen Kuss, als er eine Geschichte vorliest. | Gretel gives her father a kiss as (when) he reads a story aloud. |
Wenn/Immer wenn: refers to instances that may happen or happened repeatedly (whenever) or events that are happening in the present or will happen in the future. It also has the meaning ‘if’ as in a conditional (if you want …).
| Immer wenn ich Kaffee trinke, kleckere ich auf meine Bluse. | Whenever I drink coffee I spill some on my blouse. |
| Wenn ihr mir Kaffee macht, will ich Sahne und Zucker haben. | If you guys make me coffee, I would like cream and sugar. |
Wann: is used only in questions and indirect questions. As a conjunction, it is always in an indirect question, often with an introductory phrase such as ‘Ich weiß nicht …’
| Die Kinder fragen ihren Vater, wann sie wieder ins Kino gehen dürfen. | The children ask their father when they are allowed to go to the movies again. |
| Sie möchten auch wissen, wann sie wieder Pizza zum Abendessen essen können. | They also would like to know when they can eat pizza again for dinner. |
