Understanding German Conjunctions and How to Use Them

Learning German can be a bit of an uphill battle, but everything pays off when things start to come together. One of the best "ah-ha" moments is mastering German conjunctions—those tiny words that link sentences and clauses, making conversations flow. Conjunctions in German are the glue that holds ideas together. They allow you to form cohesive sentences that elevate your speaking to a whole new level, getting you one step closer to fluency. In this guide, we'll break down the most common German conjunctions, explain how they affect word order, and provide plenty of examples to help you use them with confidence.

What is a German Conjunction?

A German conjunction is a word that connects phrases, clauses, or sentences. Just like in English, German conjunctions are essential for structuring your thoughts and creating complex sentences. Without conjunctions, you'd be stuck expressing everything in simple, choppy statements.

For example, they can help you transform "I will go to bed early. I have to get up early tomorrow" (Ich werde früh ins Bett gehen. Ich muss morgen früh aufstehen) into "I will go to bed early because I have to get up early tomorrow" (Ich gehe früh ins Bett, weil ich morgen früh aufstehen muss).

German Conjunctions to Know

German conjunctions fall mainly into two categories: coordinating (nebenordnende Konjunktionen) and subordinating (unterordnende Konjunktionen). Knowing the difference between these types is key, as they determine the word order in your sentences.

While there are quite a few conjunctions in German, memorizing some of the most common ones is a good place to start. The following chart includes some great German conjunctions to add to your vocabulary.

How to Use German Coordinating Conjunctions

Using coordinating conjunctions in German is straightforward—they do not alter word order when you connect two main clauses (Hauptsätze). In Hauptsätze, the conjugated German verb always goes in position two, except with yes/no questions and using imperative forms. When using these conjunctions, the structure of each clause remains pretty much completely unchanged (aside for the addition of the conjunction itself). To help you practice using these in conversation, download Tandem and match with a native German speaker today.

So, with German coordinating conjunctions, the verb sticks to the second position in the clause, just like it would in a simple sentence. Some examples are as follows:

• Ich lese ein Buch, und mein Bruder spielt Gitarre. (I read a book, and my brother plays guitar.)
• Er isst gerne Kuchen, aber er mag keinen Kaffee. (He likes to eat cake, but he doesn't like coffee.)
• Möchtest du Wasser oder Saft trinken? (Would you like to drink water or juice?)
• Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn es regnet draußen. (I stay at home because it’s raining outside.)
• Es ist nicht heiß, sondern kalt. (It’s not hot, but rather cold.)
• Sie wollte einkaufen gehen, aber der Laden war geschlossen. (She wanted to go shopping, but the store was closed.)
• Er trinkt gerne Tee, und sie trinkt lieber Kaffee. (He likes to drink tea, and she prefers coffee.)
• Soll ich heute kochen, oder möchtest du essen gehen? (Should I cook today, or would you like to go out to eat?)
• Ich habe das Buch gelesen, denn es war sehr interessant. (I read the book because it was very interesting.)
• Wir haben genug Zeit, aber wir müssen uns trotzdem beeilen. (We have enough time, but we still need to hurry.)
• Sie mag keine Äpfel, sondern nur Orangen. (She doesn't like apples, but only oranges.)
• Du kannst den Bus nehmen, oder du fährst mit dem Fahrrad. (You can take the bus, or you ride the bike.)
• Er ist kein Student, sondern ein Lehrer. (He is not a student, but a teacher.)

How to Use German Subordinating Conjunctions

With subordinating German conjunctions, you are connecting a main clause (Hauptsatz) with a subordinate clause (Nebensatz), which changes the word order.

Essentially, you'll need to move the conjugated verb of the subordinate clause to the end. So, instead of the verb being in position two (Ich Kann nicht), it will be at the very end of that German sentence (Ich werde nicht dabei sein, weil ich nicht kann.) 

This is a bit trickier than coordinating conjunctions, as connecting a Hauptsatz with a Nebensatz will change the sentence structure. 

For example, if we want to connect these two sentences: "Er bleibt zu Hause (He stays at home). Er ist krank (He is sick)." you'd use the German subordinating clause "weil" (because). This changes the structure to the following: 

Er bleibt zu Hause, weil er krank ist. (He stays at home because he is sick.)

As you can see, "ist" (is) gets moved to the end of the clause. Luckily, nothing else changes, and German conjunctions don't need to be adapted to gender or number.

However, if the Nebensatz is the first part of the entire sentence, the conjugated verb of that clause will be moved to just before the comma. Then, the conjugated verb in the clause following the comma moves to position one. You can see this in the example below:

Obwohl sie viel arbeitet, hat sie immer gute Laune. (Although she works a lot, she is always in a good mood.)

This can seem confusing, but the best way to get used to using German subordinating conjunctions and word order is to practice. To help, here are some more examples.

• Sie sagt, dass sie morgen kommen wird. (She says that she will come tomorrow.)
• Wenn ich Zeit habe, besuche ich dich. (If I have time, I’ll visit you.)
• Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir spazieren. (Although it’s raining, we go for a walk.)
• Ich esse Gemüse, weil es gesund ist. (I eat vegetables because it is healthy.)
• Er glaubt, dass sie die Prüfung bestanden hat. (He believes that she passed the exam.)
• Wenn es morgen sonnig ist, gehen wir zum Strand. (If it is sunny tomorrow, we will go to the beach.)
• Obwohl er müde ist, arbeitet er weiter. (Although he is tired, he continues working.)
• Als ich jung war, wohnte ich in Berlin. (When I was young, I lived in Berlin.)
• Bevor er zur Arbeit geht, trinkt er Kaffee. (Before he goes to work, he drinks coffee.)
• Ich rufe dich an, sobald ich zu Hause bin. (I’ll call you as soon as I’m home.)
• Wir bleiben drinnen, weil es draußen regnet. (We stay inside because it’s raining outside.)
• Es ist wichtig, dass du genug schläfst. (It is important that you get enough sleep.)
• Nachdem er gegessen hat, geht er spazieren. (After he has eaten, he goes for a walk.)
• Bevor wir das Haus verlassen, überprüfen wir alles. (Before we leave the house, we check everything.)
• Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich mich nicht gut fühle. (I stay at home because I don't feel well.)

Putting Your German Conjunctions to Practice

While some German conjunctions are simple and straightforward, others can be a bit messy. To help you practice mastering both types, download Tandem today.

Tandem offers a unique language learning experience that will help you deepen your understanding and improve your German conjugations while learning to apply different grammar rules in real conversations. All you need to do is download the app, sign up, and find a native speaker of your target language. Once you match, you’ll begin communicating through language exchange and one-on-one teaching. To join our worldwide community, sign up for Tandem today!