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Subordinating conjunctions and verb-final order

When you connect two ideas in English, the word order usually stays exactly the same in both parts of the sentence. In German, certain connecting words trigger a special rule. They act like a magnet, picking up the conjugated verb and pushing it to the very end of the clause.

These words are called subordinating conjunctions. You will see this behavior with common words like weil, obwohl, and nachdem. Other everyday words like dass, falls, sobald, and solange do exactly the same thing. For English speakers, remembering to hold the verb until the end takes practice, but mastering it is essential for speaking natural German.

Word list
bisA1 until bis ich gehe weilA1 because weil ich keine Zeit habe bevorA2 before bevor ich gehe daA2 because da ich keine Zeit habe nachdemA2 after nachdem ich angekommen bin seitA2 since seit ich hier wohne währendA2 while während ich arbeite auch wennB1 although auch wenn es regnet immer wennB1 every time immer wenn ich Zeit habe obwohlB1 although obwohl es regnet wenn auchB2 although wenn es auch regnet obgleichC1 although obgleich es regnet wenngleichC1 although wenngleich es regnet
How it works

Let us look at a simple sentence. In English, you say "I am staying home because I am sick." The subject "I" is right next to the verb "am". If you translate this directly into German without changing the word order, you make a major grammatical mistake.

Because the word weil is a subordinating conjunction, the conjugated verb bin cannot stay in the second position. It must move to the very end of the phrase.

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.
(I'm staying home because I'm ill.)

The word da means the same thing and follows the exact same rule.

Wir essen drinnen, da es regnet.
(We are eating inside because it is raining.)
Time and duration

Many subordinating conjunctions deal with time. Words like bevor, nachdem, bis, während, and seit all force the conjugated verb to the end of their clause. The two-word phrase immer wenn works the same way.

Bitte ruf mich an, bevor du gehst.
(Before you leave, please call me.)
Ich lese ein Buch, während er kocht.
(I am reading a book while he cooks.)
Wir warten hier, bis du fertig bist.
(We are waiting here until you are ready.)
Expressing contrast

Conjunctions that express a contrast or an unexpected result also use verb-final word order. The most common of these is obwohl. You will also encounter auch wenn in everyday speech, along with more formal words like obgleich and wenngleich.

Wir gehen spazieren, obwohl es kalt ist.
(We are going for a walk even though it is cold.)
Ich helfe dir, auch wenn ich müde bin.
(I will help you even though I am tired.)
Watch out

You can easily place the dependent clause at the beginning of your sentence instead of the end. When you do this, the verb in the dependent clause is still at the end of its own section. However, you must immediately follow the comma with the verb of the main clause.

Nachdem ich esse, putze ich meine Zähne.
(After I eat, I brush my teeth.)

Think of the comma as a magnet that pulls the two verbs together. The dependent clause ends with a verb, and the main clause starts with one.

Summary

When you use a subordinating conjunction, remember that it pushes the conjugated verb to the very end of that clause. If you start your entire sentence with one of these conjunctions, the verbs of the two clauses will meet in the middle, separated only by a comma.