German connectors — the words that determine your word order
30 conjunctions in 3 types. Coordinating keeps verb 2nd. Subordinating sends verb to the end. Adverbial triggers inversion.
Quick rule
Coordinating (und, aber, denn) — verb stays in position 2 in both clauses. Safest group. · Subordinating (weil, dass, wenn) — verb goes to the end of the subordinate clause. · Adverbial (trotzdem, deshalb, dann) — triggers inversion when at clause start.
German word order is not random — it follows rules, and connectors are the trigger that activates those rules. Pick the wrong connector type and your word order breaks. Pick the right one and your sentence clicks into place.
Connectors also unlock your writing score. Variety across all 3 types is what the B1 exam writing rubric rewards. The learners who stay at "und, aber, oder" are leaving marks on the table.
Coordinating
Keeps V2 in both clauses — simplest case
| Word | Meaning | Example | Word Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| und | and | Ich komme, und ich bringe Wein. I'm coming, and I'm bringing wine. | — |
| aber | but | Ich komme, aber ich bin spät. I'm coming, but I'm late. | — |
| oder | or | Wir gehen ins Kino oder wir bleiben zu Hause. We go to the cinema or we stay home. | — |
| denn | because (causal) | Ich gehe nach Hause, denn ich bin müde. I'm going home because I'm tired. | Note: denn = because as coordinating. Different from weil (subordinating). |
| sondern | but rather / but instead | Nicht Tee, sondern Kaffee. Not tea, but coffee. | Used after a negative to correct it — "not X, but Y". |
| doch | but / yet (contrary) | Er wollte nicht kommen, doch er kam. He didn't want to come, yet he came. | — |
| allein | however / but (formal) | Er wollte lernen, allein die Zeit fehlt. He wanted to study, but time is lacking. | Rare in speech — mostly written formal German. |
Subordinating
Verb goes to the END of the subordinate clause
| Word | Meaning | Example | Word Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| weil | because | Ich komme nicht, weil ich krank bin. I'm not coming because I'm sick. | Verb to end. If the subordinate clause comes first, invert main clause: "Weil ich krank bin, komme ich nicht." |
| dass | that | Ich weiß, dass er kommt. I know that he's coming. | — |
| wenn | if / when (repeated or conditional) | Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause. If it rains, I stay home. | Use for repeated past events and conditions. For a single past event, use "als". |
| obwohl | although / even though | Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich raus. Although it's raining, I'm going out. | — |
| da | since / because (formal) | Da er krank ist, kommt er nicht. Since he's sick, he's not coming. | More formal than "weil" — common in written German and clause-initial position. |
| als | when (single past event) | Als ich jung war, spielte ich Fußball. When I was young, I played football. | Only for single past events. For repeated/conditional, use "wenn". |
| bis | until | Warte, bis ich komme. Wait until I come. | — |
| damit | so that / in order that | Ich lerne, damit ich die Prüfung bestehe. I study so that I pass the exam. | — |
| ob | whether / if (indirect question) | Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. I don't know whether he's coming. | — |
| bevor | before | Bevor ich gehe, trinke ich Kaffee. Before I go, I drink coffee. | — |
| nachdem | after | Nachdem ich gegessen hatte, schlief ich. After I had eaten, I slept. | Often uses Plusquamperfekt (past perfect) in the subordinate clause. |
| falls | in case / if (contingency) | Falls es regnet, nehme ich den Schirm. In case it rains, I'll take the umbrella. | Implies contingency — more uncertain than "wenn". |
Adverbial
Triggers inversion when at clause start
| Word | Meaning | Example | Word Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| trotzdem | nevertheless / still | Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich raus. It's raining. Nevertheless, I'm going out. | At sentence start: verb jumps forward (Trotzdem GEHE ich). |
| deshalb | therefore / that's why | Ich bin müde. Deshalb gehe ich schlafen. I'm tired. That's why I'm going to sleep. | — |
| deswegen | therefore / for that reason | Es ist kalt. Deswegen ziehe ich eine Jacke an. It's cold. For that reason I'm putting on a jacket. | Synonymous with deshalb, slightly more colloquial. |
| dann | then / afterwards | Wir essen, dann gehen wir spazieren. We eat, then we go for a walk. | — |
| danach | afterwards / after that | Wir gehen essen, danach ins Kino. We're going to eat, after that to the cinema. | — |
| außerdem | furthermore / in addition | Das Wetter ist schlecht. Außerdem bin ich müde. The weather is bad. In addition, I'm tired. | — |
| dennoch | nevertheless / still (more formal) | Es war schwer. Dennoch habe ich es geschafft. It was hard. Nevertheless, I managed it. | More formal register than "trotzdem". |
| allerdings | however / though / admittedly | Das ist interessant. Allerdings ist es teuer. That's interesting. However, it's expensive. | — |
| jedoch | however / but (written) | Er kommt. Jedoch ist er spät. He's coming. However, he's late. | More formal — common in written German. "Aber" is the spoken equivalent. |
| daher | therefore / hence | Es war kalt. Daher blieb ich zu Hause. It was cold. Hence I stayed home. | — |
| sonst | otherwise / else | Beeil dich, sonst kommen wir zu spät. Hurry up, otherwise we'll be late. | — |
Most commonly confused pairs
These pairs share a meaning but not a grammar role — using the wrong one breaks word order.
weil vs denn — both mean "because"
weil (subordinating)
Ich gehe, weil ich müde bin.
I'm going because I'm tired.
Verb to end
denn (coordinating)
Ich gehe, denn ich bin müde.
I'm going, because I'm tired.
V2 kept
als vs wenn — both translate as "when"
als (single past event)
Als ich jung war, spielte ich Fußball.
When I was young, I played football.
Unique past memory
wenn (repeated / conditional)
Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause.
When it rains, I stay home.
Repeated or future
trotzdem vs obwohl — both express "despite"
obwohl (subordinating)
Ich gehe raus, obwohl es regnet.
I'm going out, although it's raining.
Verb to end
trotzdem (adverbial)
Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich raus.
It's raining. Nevertheless I go out.
Inversion if clause-initial
da vs weil — both mean "because / since"
weil (neutral, spoken)
Ich komme nicht, weil ich krank bin.
I'm not coming because I'm sick.
Most common in speech
da (formal, written)
Da er krank ist, kommt er nicht.
Since he's sick, he's not coming.
Formal / clause-initial
bevor vs nachdem — sequencing
bevor (before)
Bevor ich gehe, trinke ich Kaffee.
Before I go, I drink coffee.
Verb to end in sub-clause
nachdem (after)
Nachdem ich gegessen hatte, schlief ich.
After I had eaten, I slept.
Often paired with past perfect
Writing tip: connector variety
The Goethe B1 exam writing rubric scores "Kohäsion" — cohesion. Examiners are trained to look for connector variety. A response that uses only und and aber scores in the lowest cohesion band regardless of content quality.
- Target at least 5 distinct connectors per short essay (200 words)
- Cover at least 2 connector types — e.g., coordinating + subordinating
- Add one adverbial connector at clause start for instant variety
- Causal connectors (weil, denn, da) are especially valued
Build confident sentences
Knowing the rules is the first step. The B1 course builds sentence-level writing through structured exercises that force connector variety.
Common questions
Both mean "because", but they work differently. "Weil" is subordinating — the verb goes to the end: "Ich gehe, weil ich müde bin." "Denn" is coordinating — verb stays in position 2: "Ich gehe, denn ich bin müde." In speech, "weil" is far more common. "Denn" sounds slightly more formal. If you can only learn one, learn weil.
"Als" is for a single event in the past: "Als ich jung war, spielte ich Fußball." "Wenn" covers repeated past events and all present/future conditions: "Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause." The test: could the event happen again? If yes, use "wenn". If it's a unique one-off past memory, use "als".
The Goethe B1 exam writing rubric explicitly scores for "Kohäsion" (cohesion) — variety of connectors. Examiners are instructed to penalize writing that relies only on "und" and "aber". Aim for at least 5 distinct connectors per short essay, spanning at least 2 types (e.g., coordinating + subordinating).
Subordinating conjunctions create a "subordinate clause bracket" (Satzklammer) — the main verb must park at the right end of that bracket. This is the core rule of German word order. Think of the subordinating conjunction as opening a bracket that closes with the verb at the end.
Not interchangeably — they play different grammatical roles. "Obwohl" is subordinating (verb to end): "Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich raus." "Trotzdem" is adverbial (inversion if clause-initial): "Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich raus." They express the same logical relationship ("despite X") but sit in different positions and trigger different word-order rules.