German Subordinate Clauses | A Complete Guide

Quick Answer

A subordinate clause (Nebensatz) depends on a main clause and is introduced by a subordinating conjunction like weil, dass, wenn, or obwohl. Its defining feature: the conjugated verb moves to the end of the clause — Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.

A subordinate clause in German is a dependent clause that cannot stand alone and must be connected to a main clause (Hauptsatz). The key characteristic of subordinate clauses is that the conjugated verb moves to the end of the clause.

Understanding subordinate clauses is essential for mastering complex sentence structures in German.

dass(that)

weil(because)

wenn(if / when)

obwohl(although)

damit(so that)

nachdem(after)

ob(whether / if)

bevor(before)

Structure of a Subordinate Clause

Subordinate clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions (e.g., dass, weil, wenn) or relative pronouns (e.g., der, die, das, welcher). The key rule is:

The conjugated verb moves to the end of the subordinate clause.

Example:

Ich glaube, dass er müde ist.

I believe that he is tired.

Sie bleibt zu Hause, weil sie krank ist.

She stays home because she is sick.

Word Order in Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses follow a different word order than main clauses:

Clause Type	Word Order	Example
Main Clause	Subject – Verb – Object	Ich kaufe ein Buch.
Subordinate Clause	Subordinator – Subject – Object – Verb	weil ich ein Buch kaufe.

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Example of a combined sentence:

Ich kaufe ein Buch, weil ich Deutsch lerne.

I buy a book because I am learning German.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses and push the verb to the end:

Conjunction	Meaning	Example
dass	that	Ich weiß, dass du müde bist. (I know that you are tired.)
weil	because	Er bleibt zu Hause, weil er krank ist. (He stays home because he is sick.)
wenn	if/when	Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. (If it rains, we stay home.)
ob	whether/if	Ich frage mich, ob er kommt. (I wonder whether he is coming.)
obwohl	although	Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es kalt ist. (I go for a walk although it is cold.)
damit	so that	Er spricht langsam, damit wir ihn verstehen. (He speaks slowly so that we understand him.)
bevor	before	Ich esse, bevor ich zur Arbeit gehe. (I eat before I go to work.)
nachdem	after	Nachdem ich gegessen habe, gehe ich ins Bett. (After I have eaten, I go to bed.)

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Position of Subordinate Clauses in a Sentence

A subordinate clause can appear before or after the main clause.

1. Subordinate Clause After the Main Clause (Standard)

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.

I stay home because I am sick.

2. Subordinate Clause Before the Main Clause (Inverted Word Order)

When the subordinate clause comes first, the verb in the main clause moves to the first position:

Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause.

Because I am sick, I stay home.

Relative Clauses (Relativsätze)

Relative clauses give additional information about a noun and are introduced by relative pronouns (der, die, das, welcher).

The relative pronoun agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it refers to, and the verb moves to the end.

Example:

Das ist der Mann, der mir geholfen hat.

That is the man who helped me.

Declension of der/die/das in Relative Clauses

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative	der	die	das	die
Accusative	den	die	das	die
Dative	dem	der	dem	denen
Genitive	dessen	deren	dessen	deren

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Examples:

Das ist der Mann, den ich gesehen habe. (That is the man whom I saw.)
Ich kenne die Frau, deren Auto kaputt ist. (I know the woman whose car is broken.)

Word Order with Multiple Verbs

When a subordinate clause contains two verbs, the conjugated verb remains at the end, and the infinitive or participle appears before it.

Here are examples with modal verbs, perfect tense & future tense:

Ich glaube, dass er Deutsch sprechen kann.

I believe that he can speak German.

Nachdem ich gegessen habe, gehe ich ins Bett.

After I have eaten, I go to bed.

Ich weiß, dass sie kommen wird.

I know that she will come.

Subordinate Clauses vs. Main Clauses

Main clauses and subordinate clauses differ in verb position.

Clause Type	Word Order	Example
Main Clause	Verb in second position	Ich bin müde.
Subordinate Clause	Verb at the end	weil ich müde bin.

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Example:

Ich gehe ins Bett, weil ich müde bin.

I go to bed because I am tired.

If the subordinate clause comes first:

Weil ich müde bin, gehe ich ins Bett.

Because I am tired, I go to bed.

Conclusion

Subordinate clauses are essential for expressing complex ideas in German. The key rules are:

The verb always moves to the end of the subordinate clause.
Common subordinating conjunctions include dass, weil, wenn, ob, and obwohl.
Relative clauses use der/die/das and follow gender, number, and case rules.
If a subordinate clause comes first, the main clause verb moves to position 1.
Sentences with multiple verbs keep the conjugated verb last.

Mastering these structures will greatly improve your ability to form fluent, complex sentences in German.