Subordinating conjunctions (dass = "that", weil = "because", wenn = "if/when") and verb-final word order

Subordinating conjunctions (dass, weil, wenn) and verb-final word order

German uses subordinating conjunctions such as dass, weil and wenn to introduce dependent clauses (subordinate clauses). The most important effect these conjunctions have is on word order: the conjugated (finite) verb in the subordinate clause moves to the very end of that clause. This article explains what each conjunction means, when to use it, how it changes word order, and common learner mistakes. Plenty of concrete German examples are given, with short English translations.

What is a subordinating conjunction?

Definition
A subordinating conjunction (Subjunktion) links a subordinate clause to a main clause. The subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. In German, subordinating conjunctions force a change in word order: the finite (conjugated) verb goes to the end of the subordinate clause.

Examples:
Ich glaube, dass er kommt. (I believe that he is coming.) — "kommt" is at the end of the subordinate clause.
Weil er müde ist, bleibt er zu Hause. (Because he is tired, he stays at home.) — "ist" is at the end of the subordinate clause.

When do I use dass, weil, wenn?

dass ("that")
- Use dass to introduce a content clause (a clause that functions like a noun: a thought, statement, report, wish, etc.).
- Common after verbs such as glauben, wissen, sagen, hoffen, merken, sehen, finden, denken.

Examples:
Ich glaube, dass sie Recht hat. (I believe that she is right.)
Er sagt, dass er morgen kommt. (He says that he will come tomorrow.)
Es ist wichtig, dass du pünktlich bist. (It is important that you are punctual.)

Notes:
- In casual speech you may often hear the dass clause replaced by a main clause with a comma and normal V2 order: Ich glaube, er kommt. (Both sentences are used; the dass-version is safer in formal writing.)
- Common learner confusion: dass (conjunction) vs. das (article/pronoun). Correct: Ich weiß, dass das dein Buch ist. (I know that that/it is your book.)

weil ("because")
- Use weil to give the reason or cause for something.
- Weil introduces a subordinate clause, so put the finite verb at the end of the weil-clause. Weil-clauses can come before or after the main clause.

Examples:
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. (I stay at home because I am sick.)
Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. (Because I am sick, I stay at home.)

Compare with denn (coordinating conjunction meaning "because/reason"):
Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. (Here the verb stays in second position in the clause after denn.)

wenn ("if" / "when")
- Wenn is used for conditional clauses (if) and for repeated or general temporal clauses (when/whenever).
- For a single past event you use als rather than wenn (e.g., Als ich klein war...).
- Do NOT confuse wenn with wann: wann is used in direct or indirect questions about time (when?).

Examples (conditional):
Wenn du Zeit hast, helfe ich dir. (If you have time, I'll help you.)
Wenn ich mehr Geld hätte, würde ich reisen. (If I had more money, I would travel.)

Examples (temporal/repeated):
Wenn es regnet, nehme ich einen Schirm. (When/whenever it rains, I take an umbrella.)

Compare with wann (question):
Weißt du, wann der Zug kommt? (Do you know when the train arrives?) — use wann for questions about time.

How does verb-final word order work?

Basic rule
In a subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction (dass, weil, wenn...), the finite (conjugated) verb moves to the very end of that subordinate clause. Everything else (subject, objects, adverbials) stays before the verb.

Example (simple present):
Ich hoffe, dass er morgen kommt. (I hope that he comes tomorrow.)
Structure inside the dass-clause: er (subject) + morgen (time) + kommt (finite verb — last).

Different tenses and verb combinations — common patterns
German places non-finite verb parts (infinitives, past participles, additional auxiliaries) before the finite verb at the end of the subordinate clause. The finite verb is still last.

Simple past (Präteritum):
Ich wusste, dass er gestern kam. (I knew that he came yesterday.) — "kam" is last.

Present perfect (Perfekt):
Ich glaube, dass er gestern gekommen ist. (I believe that he arrived yesterday.) — order: Partizip II (gekommen) + finite auxiliary (ist).

Past perfect (Plusquamperfekt):
Ich wusste, dass er schon gegangen war. (I knew that he had already left.) — order: Partizip II (gegangen) + finite auxiliary (war).

Future (Futur I):
Ich hoffe, dass sie morgen ankommen wird. (I hope that they will arrive tomorrow.) — order: infinitive (ankommen) + finite auxiliary (wird).

Future perfect (Futur II) — advanced:
Ich glaube, dass er das Buch gelesen haben wird. (I believe that he will have read the book.) — order: participle (gelesen) + auxiliary (haben) + finite auxiliary (wird).

Modal verbs (present/past):
Sie sagt, dass sie heute helfen kann. (She says that she can help today.) — "kann" last.
Er sagte, dass er nicht kommen konnte. (He said that he could not come.) — "konnte" last.

Separable verbs
Separable prefix + verb stay together at the end of a subordinate clause (they are not split as in main-clause V2).

Examples:
Ich weiß, dass er um sechs Uhr aufsteht. (I know that he gets up at six.)
Er hat gesagt, dass er um sechs Uhr aufgestanden ist. (He said that he got up at six.)

Passive voice
Passive formations also place auxiliary verbs at the end in subordinate clauses.

Examples:
Wir hoffen, dass das Paket bald geliefert wird. (We hope that the parcel will be delivered soon.)
Sie berichtete, dass das Haus renoviert worden ist. (She reported that the house has been renovated.)

Subordinate clause as subject or object
A subordinating clause can act as the subject or object of the main clause. Inside that subordinate clause, its verb is still final.

Examples:
Dass du gewonnen hast, ist unglaublich. (That you won is unbelievable.) — subordinate clause as subject.
Ich weiß, dass du morgen kommst. (I know that you are coming tomorrow.) — subordinate clause as object.

Multiple verbs at the end — short summary
When more than one verb form appears at the end, the typical order is: non-finite verbs / participles / infinitives first, then the finite (conjugated) verb last. Examples above show this: "gekommen ist", "ankommen wird", "gelesen haben wird".

Commas and punctuation

- A subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction is separated from the main clause with a comma. The comma is mandatory in standard written German.

Examples:
Ich glaube, dass er heute kommt. (comma before the dass-clause)
Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. (comma after the weil-clause when it comes first)

- You may sometimes omit dass in spoken or informal German and use a comma + main clause instead: Ich glaube, er kommt. (Still use the comma.)

Common mistakes to avoid

1) Leaving the verb in second position (V2) inside a subordinate clause
Wrong: Ich glaube, dass er heute kommt nicht. — (Incorrect placement of "kommt")
Correct: Ich glaube, dass er heute nicht kommt. (Note the finite verb still at the end.)

Wrong: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich bin krank. (Incorrect V2 after weil)
Correct: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.

2) Confusing dass and das
Wrong: Ich weiß, das er kommt. (Wrong spelling/word)
Correct: Ich weiß, dass er kommt. (Use "dass" for the conjunction)

Wrong: Das ist mein Buch. (Here "das" is correct as a pronoun/article.)

3) Using wann instead of wenn (and vice versa)
Wrong: Ich weiß nicht, wenn er kommt. (Wrong — asking "when" uses wann)
Correct: Ich weiß nicht, wann er kommt. (Do not use wann for conditional or repeated-time clauses; use wenn.)

Wrong: Wenn kommst du? (Wrong: a question about time needs wann)
Correct: Wann kommst du? (When are you coming?)

4) Forgetting the comma before a subordinate clause
Wrong: Ich glaube dass er krank ist. (In standard German the comma is required.)
Correct: Ich glaube, dass er krank ist.

Quick reference — short patterns and examples

Simple present (subordinate with dass/if/when):
Ich glaube, dass er heute kommt. (…kommt)

Perfect (Partizip II + finite auxiliary last):
Ich glaube, dass er gestern gekommen ist. (…gekommen ist)

Future (infinitive + finite auxiliary last):
Ich hoffe, dass sie morgen ankommen wird. (…ankommen wird)

Modal present (finite modal last):
Sie sagt, dass sie helfen kann. (…kann)

Separable verbs (prefix attached in subordinate clause):
Ich weiß, dass er früh aufsteht. (…aufsteht)

Subordinate clause as subject:
Dass er gewonnen hat, ist unglaublich. (verb-final inside the subordinate clause)

Glossary (simple definitions)

Subordinate clause (Nebensatz): a clause that cannot stand alone and depends on a main clause; introduced by subordinating conjunctions like dass, weil, wenn.

Finite verb (konjugiertes Verb): the conjugated verb that shows person and number (is placed at the end in a subordinate clause).

Infinitive (Infinitiv): the base form of the verb (e.g., kommen, lesen). Infinitives often appear before the finite verb in subordinate clauses.

Past participle (Partizip II): the form used for Perfekt (e.g., gekommen, gelesen). It appears before the finite auxiliary in subordinate clauses.

Auxiliary (Hilfsverb): a helper verb used to form compound tenses (haben, sein, werden).

Separable verb (trennbares Verb): a verb with a separable prefix (e.g., aufstehen). In subordinate clauses the prefix and verb stay together near the end (aufsteht, aufgestanden ist).

Final tips

- Whenever a clause begins with dass/weil/wenn (or other subordinating conjunctions), expect the conjugated verb to be the last word of that clause.
- Learn the translations: dass = that, weil = because, wenn = if/when (conditional or repeated time). Remember wann for questions and als for single past events.
- Pay attention to commas: subordinate clauses are separated from the main clause by a comma.
- If in doubt, write the subordinate clause down and put the verb at the end — that is almost always correct.

This guide gives you the core of how dass, weil and wenn affect German word order. Keep practicing with real sentences and pay close attention to where the conjugated verb lands — that will make subordinate clauses much easier to handle.