Welcome to another week of Dear Duolingo, an advice column just for learners. Catch up on past installments here.
Hallo, Duolingo learners! This week we’ve got another great question about German and how to form sentences. We’ve talked before about using little “formulas” to help you build sentences in a new language, and this is especially useful for German learners. This week’s question makes it clear why. Let’s take a look!
Our question this week:
Great question! You’re right, S.V.OhNo, German has several formulas that beginners need to know, so let’s dig in!
In this post:
- German sentence structure 101
- How to form German sentences with one verb
- How to form German sentences with two verbs
- How to form German questions
- How to form “wh” questions in German
- How to form yes/no questions in German
- How to form German dependent clauses
A basic English sentence generally starts with the subject, followed by the verb, followed by the object, as in Maria is drinking tea. German will often use this order, too:
Does that mean German sentences always follow a subject–verb–object structure? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
German word order depends on a range of factors, including the type of sentence (for example, a statement or a question) and the type of clause (a main clause or a dependent clause).
For now, let’s focus on basic main clauses. If you’re wondering whether these sentences always follow a subject–verb–object structure, we have to disappoint you once again. German word order is actually quite flexible—and that’s one of the things that can make it seem a little confusing at first.
So, how do you know where the different parts of a German sentence go? One useful way to understand German word order is to think of a sentence as a series of “slots.” In the example above, the subject (Maria) occupies the first slot. But the crucial thing to notice is what happens in the second slot.
In German, the second slot of a basic sentence is reserved for the conjugated verb.
Now, hold on. What exactly is a conjugated verb, and how can you identify it? A conjugated verb is a form of the verb that changes to match the subject and the tense. It tells us something about who is carrying out the action and when it is happening.
Take the German verb kaufen (to buy), for example. The conjugated form kaufst (buy) tells us that the subject is du (you, singular) and that the action is happening in the present. Kauftest (bought) tells us that the same subject—du—carried out the action in the past.
Conjugated verb forms like these go in the second slot of a German main clause. This is why German is often called a V2 (verb-second) language. There are plenty of places where you can look up verb conjugations, by the way, including Duden’s conjugation tables.
In the examples above, the first slot is filled by the subject, but this isn’t always the case in a German main clause. You’ll often see an adverb, such as morgen (tomorrow), or even an object, such as ihn (him), in first position.
Putting something other than the subject first can be used to establish the topic or context of the sentence or to emphasize that part of the sentence. The important thing to remember is that, no matter what occupies the first slot, the conjugated verb still comes second.
Both sentences essentially mean the same thing: Max is having a picnic tomorrow. However, in the second sentence, morgen has been moved to the first slot, making when the picnic is happening more prominent and establishing it as the context for the sentence.
The same thing can happen with an object:
Both statements express the same meaning: I don’t like him. However, when the object ihn is moved to the front, it becomes more prominent in the sentence.
Another important detail to know is that the second slot isn’t necessarily the same as the second word in a German sentence. It can be the second word, as in the examples above, but it could also be the third, fourth, seventh, or even tenth word!
It all depends on what fills the first slot. For example, the subject or object might be a single word, such as sie (she/her), or a longer phrase, such as meine Tochter (my daughter) or die schönen Blumen im Garten (the beautiful flowers in the garden). Similarly, the adverb can be a single word, such as hier (here) or gestern (yesterday), or it can be a longer adverbial phrase, such as dort drüben (over there) or in den ersten Jahren unserer Beziehung (in the first years of our relationship).
How to form German sentences with one verb
Once you know what goes in the first slot, you’ll know where to put the conjugated verb in a basic German sentence: in the second slot! This is true even when the first slot contains multiple words. (Remember to think of slots and not individual words!)
If the first slot of a basic German main clause is filled by something other than the subject, the subject typically goes in the third slot instead.
How to form German sentences with two verbs
In an English sentence like My sister would like to read the newspaper, the verbal complex would like to read stays together. In the corresponding German sentence, however, it gets split between two different positions.
In a German sentence with more than one verb, the conjugated verb goes in the second slot, just like it does in a sentence with only one verb. Any other verb goes at the end of the sentence.
This also means that you sometimes won’t know what the main action of the sentence is until you reach the last word! The verbs that are saved for the last slot are usually infinitives, such as gehen (to go), or participles, such as gegangen (gone). Unlike the conjugated verb, these don’t change to match the subject.
Compare how the structure of German main clauses with two verbs differs from that of main clauses with only one verb:
How to form German questions
The word order in German questions depends on whether the question has a question word, like wann (when) or was (what), or if it’s a question you can answer with a simple yes or no, like Hast du einen Hund? (Do you have a dog?).
How to form “wh” questions in German
In a German “wh” question, the question word goes in the first slot and the conjugated verb goes in the second slot.
If the sentence contains more than one verb, the non-conjugated verb goes in the last slot, like it does in a basic statement.
How to form yes/no questions in German
Some German questions can be answered with ja (yes) or nein (no). These questions introduce our first major exception to the sentence structure we’ve seen so far:
In German yes/no questions, the conjugated verb occupies the first slot instead of the second slot.
If a sentence has more than one verb, the non-conjugated verb fills the final slot.
How to form German dependent clauses
Dependent clauses are clauses that depend on a main clause. In German, they are often introduced by words such as dass, ob, and wenn, like Ich weiß, dass Duo mir helfen wird (I know that Duo will help me).
When a dependent clause follows a main clause, its conjugated verb moves to the final slot. If the clause also contains an infinitive or participle, it comes directly before the conjugated verb.
When a sentence begins with a dependent clause, the word order within that clause remains the same: the conjugated verb still occupies the final slot. However, the word order in the main clause changes. Its conjugated verb moves to the first slot. An infinitive or participle will go in the final slot.
Take German sentences one slot at a time
That’s a lot of information to take in! Focus on practicing one type of sentence or question at a time, and use these slots as a kind of formula when you're doing your German lessons. As you progress, you’ll encounter even more patterns and rules, so take it step by step and watch your German proficiency grow! 💪
For more answers to your language and learning questions (or a part 2 on German word order), get in touch with us by emailing dearduolingo@duolingo.com.
