Why is word order important in German?

​

German word order is strict - and it’s often different from English. That can be confusing at first, but once you know a few basic rules, it becomes easy to build your own correct German sentences.

​

Unlike English, which is quite flexible with sentence order, German relies heavily on structure. The position of the verb is one of the key elements that keeps the sentence understandable.

​

If the verb is in the wrong place, native speakers might misunderstand or be confused. That’s why understanding word order early in your German learning journey is essential.

Let’s keep it simple and focus on the most important rules for beginners.

Main Clauses – Verb in Position 2

​

In a normal statement, the conjugated verb is always in second position.

That doesn’t mean the second word; it means the second element. The first element could be a subject, time phrase, or object. It could even be a longer phrase, such as "Am Wochenende" or "In meiner Freizeit" - and that entire phrase counts as the first position.

​

Examples:

• Ich lerne Deutsch. (Subject first → Ich = 1st, lerne = 2nd)

• Heute geht er ins Kino. (Time first → Heute = 1st, geht = 2nd)

• Den Film mag sie sehr. (Object first → Den Film = 1st, mag = 2nd)

• Am Wochenende spiele ich Fußball. (Weekend phrase = 1st, spiele = 2nd)

 

This rule is one of the best tools you can learn to build solid German sentences.

 

Tip: Even if your sentence is short, always make sure the conjugated verb is in the second position. That’s the German way.

Questions – Verb comes first

​

For yes/no questions, the verb comes first in the sentence. This is like flipping a statement around.​

Examples:

• Lernst du Deutsch? (Are you learning German?)

• Wohnt er in Wien? (Does he live in Vienna?)

• Hat sie das Buch? (Does she have the book?)

​​

For W-questions (Was, Wer, Wann, Wo, Warum...), the W-word comes first, and the verb still comes second.

Examples:

• Was machst du? (What are you doing?)

• Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?)

• Wann beginnt der Kurs? (When does the course begin?)

• Warum lernst du Deutsch? (Why are you learning German?)

​

Common mistake: Don't add "do" as in English – in German, the verb starts the question. Instead of "Do you speak German?", you say "Sprichst du Deutsch?"

Time – Manner – Place (TMP)

​

In German, the order of details in a sentence usually follows the TMP rule:

Time → Manner → Place

​

This is helpful when adding information to a sentence. It makes your speech sound more natural and structured.

​

Examples:

• Ich fahre morgen (Time) mit dem Bus (Manner) nach Berlin (Place).

• Er arbeitet jeden Tag fleißig im Büro.

• Wir essen heute Abend gemeinsam im Restaurant.

​

If you change this order, Germans will still understand you – but it will sound less native-like.

​

Tip: Not every sentence needs all three (time, manner, and place), but when you use two or more, try to follow the order.

Subordinate clauses – Verb goes to the end

​

When a sentence contains a subordinate clause, introduced by words like weil (because), dass (that), wenn (if/when), or obwohl (although), the conjugated verb moves to the end of the clause.

This is one of the biggest differences between German and English.

​

Examples:

• Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. (…because I’m sick.)

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

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

• Ich glaube, dass er das versteht. (I think that he understands it.)

​

Tip: In subordinate clauses, forget position 2 – the verb simply moves to the end.

Two verbs – One goes to the end

​

You already saw this with modal verbs. But there are other times when a sentence has two verbs, like with perfect tense, subordinate clauses, or certain expressions.

 

In these cases, one verb is conjugated and the other (infinitive or participle) moves to the end.

​

Examples:

• Ich will ins Kino gehen. (I want to go to the cinema.)

• Er hat das Buch gelesen. (He has read the book.)

• Sie kann gut singen. (She can sing well.)

​

This structure is a big part of German grammar, so it’s worth mastering early.

Summary – what you should remember

​

• In main clauses, the conjugated verb is in position 2

• In yes/no questions, the verb comes first

• W-questions: W-word + verb + subject

• Modal verbs: second verb goes to the end in infinitive

• TMP = Time → Manner → Place is the natural flow

• Subordinate clauses push the verb to the end

• Two verbs? One is early (conjugated), one is late (infinitive or participle)

 

Learning how to place the verb correctly is one of the fastest ways to improve your German fluency and confidence.

What’s next?

​

Continue to: Nouns and Articles
Practise with: Word Order Quiz
Download: Word Order Cheat Sheet (PDF)
Book a grammar class at GermanMind