🏗️ German Sentence Structure
The V2 rule, word order, and how German sentences actually work
The Golden Rule: Verb Second (V2)
In German main clauses, the conjugated verb ALWAYS goes in the second position. This is the single most important rule in German sentence structure. Not the second word — the second "slot" or position.
What Fills Position 1?
In English, the subject almost always comes first. In German, you can put other elements in position 1 for emphasis — but the verb still stays in position 2. When something other than the subject takes position 1, the subject moves behind the verb. This is called "inversion."
| Position 1 | Verb (Pos. 2) | Rest | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ich | spiele | heute Fußball | I play football today |
| Heute | spiele | ich Fußball | Today I play football |
| Fußball | spiele | ich heute | Football I play today |
Time – Manner – Place (TeKaMoLo)
When you have multiple pieces of information in a sentence, German follows a preferred order: Temporal (when) → Kausal (why) → Modal (how) → Lokal (where). The German mnemonic is TeKaMoLo.
Subordinate Clauses: Verb Goes Last
When you use conjunctions like "weil" (because), "dass" (that), "wenn" (when/if), "obwohl" (although), or "ob" (whether), the conjugated verb moves to the END of the clause. This is the opposite of main clause word order.
| Type | Verb Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause | 2nd position | Ich gehe morgen ins Kino. |
| weil (because) | End | ...weil ich morgen ins Kino gehe. |
| dass (that) | End | ...dass ich morgen ins Kino gehe. |
| wenn (when/if) | End | ...wenn ich morgen ins Kino gehe. |
Questions
For yes/no questions, the verb goes in position 1 (before the subject). For W-questions (wer, was, wo, wann, warum, wie), the question word takes position 1 and the verb stays in position 2.
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | Verb + Subject + ...? | Spielst du Fußball? |
| W-Question | W-word + Verb + ...? | Was spielst du? |
Negation with "nicht"
"Nicht" (not) usually goes near the end of the sentence, but before the element it negates. If it negates the whole sentence, it goes before the last element (often before a place or an infinitive at the end).
| Sentence | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ich spiele nicht Fußball. | I don't play football. | nicht before what's negated |
| Ich gehe nicht nach Hause. | I'm not going home. | nicht before place |
| Er kann nicht schwimmen. | He can't swim. | nicht before infinitive |
Putting It Together
German word order can feel rigid and flexible at the same time. The verb position rules are strict, but within those rules, you have freedom to emphasize different parts of the sentence. As you practice with Vidi, pay attention to how example sentences are structured — you'll start to internalize these patterns naturally.
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