Adverbial Subordinate Clauses
Learn to express reasons, contrasts, conditions, and time with weil, obwohl, wenn, and als. Practise verb-final order in subordinate clauses and inversion after a fronted subordinate clause.
Explanation
Adverbial clauses with **weil, obwohl, wenn**, and **als**
Adverbial subordinate clauses add a reason, concession, condition, or time relation to a main clause.
| Meaning | Conjunction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| reason | **weil** | Nils bleibt zu Hause, **weil er Fieber hat**. |
| concession / unexpected contrast | **obwohl** | Nils geht kurz einkaufen, **obwohl er Fieber hat**. |
| condition or repeated time | **wenn** | Wir gehen spazieren, **wenn das Wetter gut ist**. |
| one-time point in the past | **als** | Ich war zwölf, **als wir nach Bremen zogen**. |
The conjugated verb goes to the end
The conjunction opens the subordinate clause, and its conjugated verb stands at the end:
- Mira nimmt den Bus, **weil ihr Fahrrad kaputt ist**.
- Wir bleiben draußen, **obwohl es kalt wird**.
- Ruf mich an, **wenn du zu Hause bist**.
With the perfect tense or a modal verb, the conjugated element is still last: **weil ich die Prüfung bestanden hatte**; **weil er noch arbeiten muss**.
The subordinate clause can come second or first
> Lena kocht heute, weil ihre Freunde kommen.
> Weil ihre Freunde kommen, kocht Lena heute.
A fronted subordinate clause occupies position 1 of the whole sentence. Therefore the conjugated verb of the main clause follows the comma immediately: **..., kocht Lena ...**, not *..., Lena kocht ...*.
**als** or **wenn** for time?
- **wenn**: present, future, a condition, or repeated past events.
- **als**: one event or state at a specific time in the past.
> **Wenn** ich frei habe, besuche ich meine Schwester.
> **Immer wenn** wir früher am See waren, machten wir ein Picknick.
> **Als** ich zum ersten Mal allein reiste, war ich nervös.
Quick choice
1. Why? → **weil**
2. Despite what? → **obwohl**
3. Under what condition / when repeatedly or now? → **wenn**
4. When once in the past? → **als**
5. Put the conjugated verb at the end of the subordinate clause.
6. If that clause comes first, put the main-clause verb directly after it.
Exercises
- Choose the conjunction that correctly expresses the meaning and time relation. (11)
- Join the two statements with the given conjunction. Keep the verb at the end of the subordinate clause. (11)
- Build a sentence with the subordinate clause first. Put the main-clause verb directly after the comma. (11)
- Complete connected everyday situations with weil, obwohl, wenn, or als. Words may be used more than once. (4)
A2 · German · Grammar