Wortstellung: Wann? Wie? Wo?

Lesson · 4 rules · about 5 min

Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin. Put when, how and where in that order and your German sounds natural.

1Time – manner – place
2Place sits next to the verb at the end
3Or put the time first
4Te-Ka-Mo-Lo

Why this matters

Inside a German sentence the details come in a fixed order that is the reverse of English: when, then how, then where — Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin. English says 'to Berlin by train tomorrow'; German says 'tomorrow by train to Berlin'. The full rule is called TeKaMoLo (temporal – kausal – modal – lokal) and comes later in the course; for now you only need to notice the pattern and copy it — the simple version is enough: time before manner before place, and the place last, right before the final verb part if there is one (… nach Berlin gefahren). It is not a grammar error in the strict sense to get it wrong, but it is the difference between sounding translated and sounding German — and every German listener hears it.

Rule · 1 of 4

Time – manner – place

Ich fahre | morgen | mit dem Zug | nach Berlin. Wann? Wie? Wohin? — in that order, every time. If only two are present, keep their relative order: um drei im Café; jeden Tag zur Schule.

Verb

When

How

Where

Ich

fahre

morgen

mit dem Zug

nach Berlin.

Wir treffen uns um drei im Café. We're meeting at the café at three.
Er fährt jeden Tag mit dem Rad zur Schule. He goes to school by bike every day.

English puts place first and time last. Say the German order out loud until 'nach Berlin morgen' sounds wrong to you.

Quick check

Which sentence has the natural German order?

Rule · 2 of 4

Place sits next to the verb at the end

In the Perfekt or with a modal, the place stays last before the participle/infinitive: Ich bin gestern mit dem Zug nach Berlin gefahren. Ich will morgen mit Anna ins Kino gehen.

Ich bin am Sonntag mit Freunden im Park gewesen. I was in the park with friends on Sunday.
Wir sind am Samstag mit dem Auto an den See gefahren. On Saturday we drove to the lake.

Quick check

Which sentence is correct?

Rule · 3 of 4

Or put the time first

Time is the element most often moved to position 1: Morgen fahre ich mit dem Zug nach Berlin. Then the rest keeps its order: manner, place.

Position 1

Verb

Subject

How

Where

Morgen

fahre

ich

mit dem Zug

nach Berlin.

Am Abend lerne ich zu Hause Deutsch. In the evening I learn German at home.
Heute Abend gehe ich mit Anna ins Kino. Tonight I'm going to the cinema with Anna.

Quick check

Am Wochenende mit Freunden ins Schwimmbad.

Memory trick · 4 of 4

Te-Ka-Mo-Lo

Temporal (wann?) – Kausal (warum?) – Modal (wie?) – Lokal (wo/wohin?). For now you need Te – Mo – Lo; the Ka slot (wegen …) arrives later in the course.

Ich fahre morgen (Te) mit dem Zug (Mo) nach Köln (Lo). I'm going to Cologne by train tomorrow.
Sie geht jeden Tag zu Fuß zur Arbeit. She walks to work every day.

Quick check

„Wir fliegen im Mai mit Freunden nach Spanien.“ Which part is the Mo (wie? / mit wem?)?

Words · tap to hear

The words you need

Practise these words as flashcards

Listen

Play it, then pick what you heard.

In context

Hear it in a real exchange

Mein Alltag: Ich stehe jeden Tag um sieben auf und fahre um acht mit dem Bus zur Arbeit. Mittags esse ich mit Kollegen in der Kantine. Am Abend gehe ich oft mit meiner Freundin ins Kino, und am Wochenende fahren wir mit dem Auto aufs Land.

My daily life: I get up at seven every day and go to work by bus at eight. At lunchtime I eat with colleagues in the canteen. In the evening I often go to the cinema with my girlfriend, and at the weekend we drive to the countryside.

Spot the mistake

Which one is right?

Spot the mistake

Which one is right?

Spot the mistake

Which one is right?

Cheat sheet

What to take with you

Time – manner – place
Place sits next to the verb at the end
Or put the time first
Te-Ka-Mo-Lo

How to remember it

Wann – wie – wo: when, how, where, in that order.
Place is the last thing before the verb at the end.

Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin. Put when, how and where in that order and your German sounds natural.

Time – manner – place

Which sentence has the natural German order?

Place sits next to the verb at the end

Which sentence is correct?

Or put the time first

Am Wochenende mit Freunden ins Schwimmbad.

Te-Ka-Mo-Lo

„Wir fliegen im Mai mit Freunden nach Spanien.“ Which part is the Mo (wie? / mit wem?)?

The words you need

Play it, then pick what you heard.

Hear it in a real exchange

Which one is right?

Which one is right?

Which one is right?

What to take with you

More

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