Subordinate Clauses with dass
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Learn to connect statements, thoughts, knowledge, and feelings with dass-clauses. Practise verb-final order and the word order used when the dass-clause comes first.
Explanation
Subordinate clauses with dass
A dass-clause reports the content of a statement, thought, piece of knowledge, feeling, or evaluation.
- Ich weiß, dass der Kurs heute beginnt.
- Es freut mich, dass du mitkommst.
- Wir sind der Meinung, dass die Lösung praktisch ist.
Common triggers
Dass-clauses often follow verbs such as glauben, denken, wissen, finden, hoffen, sagen, emotional or evaluative phrases such as Es freut mich, Es tut mir leid, and impersonal phrases such as Es ist wichtig or Es stimmt. They also follow opinion frames such as Ich bin der Meinung.
A dass-clause can replace a complement:
Wir erwarten eine Antwort. → Wir erwarten, dass sie heute antwortet.
Word order
dass introduces a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb goes to the end.
| Main clause | Conjunction | Middle field | Verb |
|---|
| Lea sagt, | dass | der Zug später | kommt. |
| Ich hoffe, | dass | du morgen Zeit | hast. |
With a modal verb, the modal is last: dass Amir länger arbeiten muss. In the perfect tense, the conjugated auxiliary is last: dass sie den Schlüssel gefunden hat. Separable verbs stay together: dass der Kurs morgen anfängt.
A dass-clause can come first
Dass der Laden heute geschlossen ist, weiß ich.
The entire subordinate clause occupies position 1. The conjugated main-clause verb follows the comma immediately. This order is possible, though a following dass-clause is usually more neutral in everyday German.
Comma and spelling
Use a comma before a following dass-clause. Write dass with double s. das with one s is usually an article or pronoun.
Memory aid
After dass comes the reported content; the conjugated verb waits until the end of the subordinate clause.
Exercises
- Combine the statement with the given main clause. Write one complete sentence with dass. (11)
- Arrange the words into a correct dass-clause. Put the conjugated verb at the end. (11)
- Express an opinion or evaluation with dass. Write the complete sentence. (11)
A2 · German · Grammar