Sentence Structure – Word Order in German Grammar
Word order in main clauses is a very flexible concept in German. It is quite typical, for example, for the object to be placed first in the sentence.
Example:
Der Hund fängt den Ball. The dog catches the ball.
Den Ball fängt der Hund. The ball catches the dog.
In German, we create negative sentences by using the words nicht and kein. Find out when to use nicht and kein and where to put them in a sentence.
Example:
Ich habe dich nicht gesehen. I didn't see you.
Ich habe keinen Hunger. I am not hungry.
Learn how to formulate yes-no questions (closed questions), W-questions (open questions), and indirect questions. There is also a list of the most important German question words.
Example:
Habt ihr Zeit? Do you have time?
Wann ist der Bus angekommen?
When did the bus arrive?
Learn the main types of dependent clauses: indirect questions, infinitive clauses, participial clauses, conjunction clauses, relative clauses, conditional clauses, and indirect speech.
Example:
Ich freue mich sehr, dich kennenzulernen. I am very happy to meet you.
Weil er krank war, blieb ich daheim. Because he was sick, I stayed at home.
