Mastering German Conjunctions: A Simple Guide for Beginners

If you are learning German, you know that building long sentences can be tricky. Conjunctions are the “glue” that hold your ideas together. In German, there are three main types you need to know: Coordinating, Subordinating, and Conjunctive Adverbs.

1. Coordinating Conjunctions (Nebenordnende Konjunktionen)

These connect words, groups of words, or main sentences. The best part? They do not change the word order (they occupy “Position 0”). After the conjunction, you follow the normal subject-verb order.

• Und (and): Er kommt nach Hause und er macht das Abendessen.
• Aber (but): Ich will Musik hören, aber plötzlich klingelt das Telefon.
• Denn (because/causal): Used to give a reason.
• Oder (or): Used for choices.

2. Subordinating Conjunctions (Subjunktonen)

These start a “Nebensatz” (dependent clause). In these sentences, the conjugated verb moves to the very end.

• Weil (because): Die Wege sind schlecht, weil es den ganzen Tag geregnet hat.
• Dass (that): Dass Sie zu Hause sind, ist gut.
• Wenn (if/when): Ich komme, wenn ich Zeit habe.
• Ob (if/whether): Used for indirect questions.

Pro Tip: If you see a word like weil or dass, look for the verb at the end of the sentence!

3. Conjunctive Adverbs (Konjunktionaladverbien)

These act like conjunctions but follow different grammar rules. They occupy the first position in the sentence, so the verb comes immediately after them.

• Dann / Danach (then/afterwards): Er geht nach Hause, später liest er noch ein Buch.
• Deshalb / Darum (therefore): Used to show a consequence.
• Trotzdem (nevertheless): Es regnet, trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.

Summary Table for Quick Learning