A2.2 · 6 of 36

Nebensatz mit weil

Lesson · 4 rules · about 5 min

Give your reasons in German: after weil the verb flies to the very end — weil ich krank bin, never weil ich bin krank.

  1. 1weil … verb at the end, comma before
  2. 2Two verbs? Both at the end, helper last
  3. 3weil vs denn
  4. 4The conjunction kicks the verb to the back
Why this matters

weil (because) opens a subordinate clause, and a subordinate clause in German sends its conjugated verb to the very end: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin — not 'weil ich bin krank'. This is the single biggest word-order rule after verb-second, and it will run through every level from here: dass, wenn, ob, obwohl, als and every relative clause do the same. A comma always separates the two clauses. In the Perfekt the helper goes last, after the participle: …, weil ich gestern lange gearbeitet habe. With a modal, the modal goes last: …, weil ich arbeiten muss. Learn it physically — 'the conjunction kicks the verb to the back' — and say a weil-sentence aloud every day until the kick is automatic. Five sentences here have two gaps — the infinitive or participle first, then the modal or helper as the very last word.

Question 1 of 10 · eins
eins1zwei2drei3vier4fünf5sechs6sieben7acht8neun9zehn10

weil + Verb am Ende

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil tap the words below.

I'm staying home because I'm ill.