German Sentence Structure and Word Order

Understanding word order is one of the most important parts of mastering German. German sentences are structured logically, but they follow different patterns than English. In this guide, we’ll explore the most important rules and provide plenty of examples to help you build correct German sentences with confidence.

1. The Golden Rule: The Verb is Always in Position 2

In main clauses the conjugated verb always goes in the second position – not necessarily the second word, but the second grammatical element.

Examples:

• Ich(subject) sehe(verb) den Film. (I see the film.)
  → "Ich" (subject) is first, "sehe" (verb) is second.

• Heute sehe ich den Film. (Today I see the film.)
  → "Heute" (time) is first, "sehe" is still second, subject "ich" comes after the verb.

👉This rule applies no matter what comes first in the sentence.

2. Word Order with Time, Manner, Place (TMP)

When you describe when, how, and where, German prefers a specific order:

Time – Manner – Place

Example:

• Ich gehe morgen (time) mit dem Fahrrad (manner) in die Schule (place). (I'm going to school tomorrow by bike.)

More examples:

• Er arbeitet jeden Tag fleißig im Büro. (He works hard in the office every day.)

• Wir fahren am Wochenende mit dem Auto nach München. (We are driving to Munich this weekend.)

This isn’t a strict rule, but it's a widely followed guideline and makes your speech sound more natural.

3. Yes/No Questions (Ja/Nein-Fragen)

For yes/no questions the verb comes first, followed by the subject, then the rest.

Examples:

• Hast(verb) du(subject) Zeit? (Do you have time?)

• Kommt sie heute? (Is she coming today?)

This is very similar to English inversion.

4. W-Questions (Information Questions)

These questions start with a question word like was, wo, wann, wer, etc. The structure is:

W-word – Verb – Subject – Other

Examples:

• Was(W-word) machst(verb) du(subject)? (What are you doing?)

• Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?)

• Wann beginnt der Unterricht? (When does the class start?)

5. Changing the Sentence Start: Verb Stays Second

You can start a sentence with time, place, or another element for emphasis. The verb still stays in position 2, and the subject moves to position 3.

Examples:

• Am Abend(time) sehe(verb) ich(subject) einen Film. (In the evening I watch a movie.)

• In Berlin arbeitet mein Vater. (My father works in Berlin.)

• Dann gehen wir ins Kino. (Then we go to the cinema.)

This flexibility is a key difference from English and is used for emphasis or variation in tone.

6. Subordinate Clauses (Nebensätze): Verb at the End

In subordinate clauses (introduced by words like weil, dass, wenn, ob, etc.), the conjugated verb moves to the end of the clause.

Examples:

• Ich gehe nicht raus, weil es regnet. (I’m not going outside because it’s raining.)

• Sie sagt, dass sie keine Zeit hat. (She says that she has no time.)

• Wenn ich Zeit habe, komme ich mit. (If I have time, I’ll come along.)

Tip: Subordinate clauses can come before or after the main clause.

7. Modal Verbs and Other Verb Pairs

With modal verbs (können, müssen, wollen, dürfen and other.), the modal verb is in position 2, and the main verb (infinitive) goes to the end.

Examples:

• Ich kann gut schwimmen. (I can swim well.)

• Wir müssen heute arbeiten. (We have to work today.)

• Sie will Pizza essen. (She wants to eat pizza.)

This also applies to other verb structures like werden + infinitive or haben + participle.

8. Sentence Brackets (Satzklammer)

German often creates a "bracket" around the middle part of the sentence. This happens when there are two verbs – one in position 2 and one at the end.

Examples:

• Ich habe gestern einen Film gesehen. (I watched a movie yesterday.)

• Wir werden morgen nach Wien fahren. (We will go to Vienna tomorrow.)

• Du musst heute das Buch lesen. (You must read the book today.)

This bracketed structure helps German sentences stay organized, even when they're long.

9. Coordinating vs. Subordinating Conjunctions

Some conjunctions don’t change word order, while others do.

Coordinating Conjunctions (no word order change)

• und, oder, aber, denn

Ich bleibe zu Hause und ich sehe fern. (I’m staying at home and I’m watching TV.)

Subordinating Conjunctions (verb goes to the end)

• weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, damit, als

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich müde bin. (I’m staying at home because I’m tired.)

10. Word Order Practice

Let’s look at a complex sentence:

Am Wochenende (time) fährt (verb) mein Bruder (subject) mit dem Zug (manner) nach Hamburg (place), weil er dort Freunde besucht (subordinate verb at end).

Position 1 - Am Wochenende(time)

Position 2 - fährt (verb)

Position 3 - mein Bruder (subject)

Word Order Patterns

📝 Exercises

Exercise 1: Put the Words in the Correct Order

Rearrange the words to form a correct German sentence.

1. ich / jeden Tag / arbeite / im Büro

2. heute / wir / fahren / nach Berlin

3. du / lesen / musst / das Buch / heute

4. Pizza / will / sie / essen

5. regnet / weil / es / ich / bleibe / zu Hause

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Word Order

Pick the correct version of the sentence:

1.

a) Morgen ich gehe zur Schule.
b) Ich gehe morgen zur Schule.
c) Gehe ich morgen zur Schule.

2.

a) Kann ich gut schwimmen.
b) Ich gut schwimmen kann.
c) Ich kann gut schwimmen.

3.

a) Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause.
b) Weil ich bin krank, ich bleibe zu Hause.
c) Weil krank bin ich, bleibe ich zu Hause.

✅ Answers

Exercise 1

1. Ich arbeite jeden Tag im Büro.

2. Heute fahren wir nach Berlin.

3. Du musst heute das Buch lesen.

4. Sie will Pizza essen.

5. Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil es regnet.

Exercise 2

1. b) Ich gehe morgen zur Schule.

2. c) Ich kann gut schwimmen.

3. a) Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause.