Word order: the verb comes second
Satzbau: Verb auf Position 2
In a statement, the verb is always in position 2, and verb parts go to the end.
In a German statement, the conjugated verb is always in position 2. Position 1 can be the subject, a time, a place or an object. When something else is in position 1, the subject comes straight after the verb.
The verb is always second
| position 1 | position 2 (verb) | the rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rohan | wohnt | in Stuttgart. |
| Heute | kocht | er Dal. |
| Um sieben Uhr | nimmt | er die S-Bahn. |
| Dort | trifft | er den Hasen. |
Two-part verbs: the second part goes to the end
| position 1 | verb | middle | end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Er | möchte | einen Chai | trinken. |
| Am Abend | ruft | er seine Mutter | an. |
| Ich | habe | es | versprochen. |
- und, aber, oder, denn, sondern don't count: they stand in "position 0". Aber im Wald wohnt ein Tiger.
- Questions with a question word also have the verb second (Was möchten Sie?). Yes/no questions and commands start with the verb (Hast du Hunger? Komm herein!).
- In clauses with weil, dass, wenn the verb goes to the end (A2).
Examples from the stories
Heute kocht er Dal.Today he is cooking dal.
Rohans Montag · Kapitel 2Aber im Wald wohnt ein Tiger.But a tiger lives in the forest.
Punyakoti, die Kuh · Kapitel 1Um sieben Uhr nimmt er die S-Bahn.At seven o'clock he takes the S-Bahn.
Rohans Montag · Kapitel 1Am Abend ruft er seine Mutter in Delhi an.In the evening he calls his mother in Delhi.
Einen Chai, bitte! · Kapitel 2
See also
- A1 Questions
- A1 Separable verbs: anrufen, aufmachen …
- A2 weil, dass, wenn, ob: the verb goes to the end
Practise it with stories
Every example comes from a DeutschKatha story. On DeutschKatha you can hear each sentence and see which case every word is in.