35 Most Common German Conjunctions

In grammar, a conjunction is a term that links different parts of a sentence together. It allows for the formation of longer, more complex sentences to express a unified thought or idea.

Conjunctions in German can be divided into two main types: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. This guide will introduce the essential German conjunctions that every learner needs to know for basic communication.

German Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions link elements of a sentence and give equal importance to each part.

German coordinating conjunctions are user-friendly because they do not alter the sentence structure or word order. Furthermore, there are only a few coordinating conjunctions to remember!

When I was initially taught about coordinating conjunctions in my German class, the instructor suggested we view them as "friend" or "buddy" conjunctions. This comparison holds up for all the reasons mentioned. So, let's meet our grammatical pals.

und — and

Usage: Similar to the English “and.” It links clauses as well as related words or phrases.

Sie ist klug und hat viele Hobbys. She is clever and has lots of hobbies.

aber — but

Usage: Connects clauses that present contrasting ideas or facts. The focus is on the distinction between them.

Ich bin müde, aber ich muss zur Schule gehen. I am tired, but I have to go to school.

oder — or

Usage: Used to offer a list or alternative choices. In German, it's also frequently used at the end of a question in a non-conjunctive way, similar to the English "right?"

Willst du ein Buch lesen oder Schach spielen? Do you want to read a book or play chess?

Er ist ganz sympatisch, oder? He is really nice, right?

denn — because, since

Usage: Indicates a cause-and-effect relationship between clauses. Note: denn cannot begin a sentence (unlike English sentences that can start with “because” or “since”).

Ich kaufe Gemüse, denn ich möchte einen Salat machen. I am buying vegetables because I want to make a salad.

hingegen — on the other hand

Usage: Introduces a contrasting or alternative object or situation to what was stated before. Hingegen is unique because it functions more like a conjunctive addition to the subject being described. It is categorized as a coordinating conjunction since it does not form a subordinate clause nor change the verb's position.

Sie liebt Äpfel, ihre Freundin hingegen liebt Orangen. She loves apples, her girlfriend, on the other hand, loves oranges.

sondern — but rather

Usage: Similar to aber, this introduces a contrasting clause. However, sondern usually indicates a correction to the initial clause.

Sie wohnt nicht in Berlin, sondern in Tübingen. She doesn't live in Berlin, but rather in Tübingen.

doch — yet, however

Usage: Similar to aber in presenting a contrasting clause. However, doch often carries a somewhat more formal tone and might place greater emphasis on the clause that follows it. Sometimes it can be better translated as "anyway" or "indeed."

Ich wollte zur Party kommen, doch ich war schon verabredet. I wanted to come to the party, but I already had plans.

German Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions also connect clauses, but a clear dependency exists between them. One clause relies on another for the complete meaning and significance of the sentence to be understood.

In German, subordinating conjunctions do alter the word order. Specifically, the verb in a subordinate clause moves from the second position to the very end of that clause. This changes the order of a subordinating clause to Subject-Object-Verb, instead of Subject-Verb-Object.

Subordinate clauses can also complicate the clause that follows them. In German sentences, a comma is used to clearly separate the clauses. When a sentence begins with a subordinate clause, the clause after the comma will also undergo a word order change–specifically, the subject and verb of that clause will swap positions.

You will observe this shift in the examples below. You can also notice the differences between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in everyday German media. Lingflix is useful for spotting these grammar structures as employed by native speakers. Lingflix takes authentic videos—such as music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and converts them into personalized language learning lessons. You can try Lingflix for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app. P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

While coordinating conjunctions can be viewed as cooperative "friends," I learned to think of subordinating conjunctions as "bullies" that "push" verbs to the end of a sentence. They establish a clear hierarchy and disrupt the grammatical "order."

Nevertheless, it's crucial to learn about these conjunctive troublemakers. There are significantly more of them than coordinating conjunctions.

als — when (referring to the past)

Usage: To describe past events. These events are typically single, completed moments that are not ongoing.

Als ich jung war, war ich sehr frech. When I was young, I was very cheeky.

anstatt — instead of

Usage: Introduces an action, event, or object that contrasts with, or serves as an alternative to, the one mentioned before.

Ich gehe zu Fuß, anstatt mit dem Auto zu fahren. I walk instead of driving my car.

bevor — before

Usage: Indicates an action that has occurred or should occur prior to another action. Bevor is not used with nouns.

Bevor meine Eltern kommen, müssen wir das Wohnzimmer aufräumen. Before my parents come, we have to clean up the living room.

bis — until

Usage: Describes an event that will continue up to a certain point or occurrence.

Wir warten auf Sie, bis Sie fertig sind. We will wait for you until you are ready.

da — as, because

Usage: Describes a causal relationship between clauses. Unlike denn, da can be used at the beginning of a sentence.

Da sie viele Meetings hat, arbeitet sie heute im Büro. Since she has a lot of meetings, she's working in the office today.

damit — so that, in order that

Usage: Presents a causal, and often sequential, relationship between clauses. The clause following damit explains the purpose of the previous clause.

Lass uns später losfahren, damit wir nicht im Stau stecken bleiben. Let's leave later so we don't get stuck in traffic.

dass — that

Usage: Similar to English "that." Introduces a dependent clause that gives more information about the main independent clause. Sometimes, native German speakers might omit dass in a sentence if the context already makes it clear (in these cases, the sentence is essentially just two or more independent clauses without any verb order change).

Ich hoffe, dass du kommen kannst. I hope that you can come.

falls — in case

Usage: Introduces conditional situations; falls comes from der Fall (case, issue). Often, falls is used to describe precautionary actions that may or may not happen.

Kaufen Sie Medikamente, falls Sie krank werden. Buy some medicine in case you get sick.

indem — by

Usage: Presents the cause or method of a mentioned situation/event, or the means by which a "goal" is achieved.

Sie hat Englisch gelernt, indem sie fünf Jahre in Amerika gewohnt hat. She learned English by living in America for five years.

nachdem — after, afterwards

Usage: Indicates an action that has occurred or should occur following another action. Nachdem is not used with nouns.

Sie macht ein Nickerchen, nachdem sie ihre Arbeit erledigt hat. She takes a nap after she finishes her work.

ob — whether (or not), if

Usage: A restricted "if" that applies only to "yes/no" situations. This is different from falls, which has a broader application.

Sie wollen wissen, ob Greta das Abendessen kochen kann. They want to know whether Greta can cook dinner.

obgleich — although, albeit, even though

Usage: Describes a condition or situation that results in a contrasting or unexpected event. Used more frequently in writing than in casual speech.

Er wollte mittanzen, obgleich er ungeschickt ist. He wanted to dance along with everyone, even though he is clumsy.

obwohl — although, albeit, even though

Usage: Has the same function as obgleich, but obwohl is more common in spoken language.

Er gewann das Rennen, obwohl er nicht trainierte. He won the race although he didn't practice.

seit — since

Usage: Describes an event that began in the past and is suggested to be continuing.

Seit ich ein Teenager war, kaue ich Kaugummi. Since I was a teenager, I've been chewing gum.

sobald — once, as soon as, by the time

Usage: Expresses an event that will happen immediately after another event takes place.

Sobald Sie angekommen sind, rufen Sie mich an. Once you are ready, meet me at the restaurant.

sodass — so, with the result that

Usage: This is somewhat different from the English "so that" and the previously mentioned damit. Instead of showing intention, it highlights the result of an action, whether intended or not.

Der Flug hatte Verspätung, sodass wir den letzten Zug nach Hause verpasst haben. The flight was delayed, so we missed the last train home.

sofern — provided, as long as

Usage: Specifies conditions for an event to happen. Considered a bit more formal than falls.

Ich kann einen Kuchen backen, sofern du die Zutaten kaufst. I can bake a cake, provided you buy the ingredients.

solange — so long as, while

Usage: Similar to English "so long." Details a (usually continuing) condition under which a situation will occur.

Solange Sie Ihren Hund haben, sind Sie in Sicherheit. So long as you have your dog, you will be safe.

sonst — otherwise

Usage: Presents a situation that would happen if a condition or action is not met. Often used to give warnings or advice.

Ich muss los, sonst komme ich zu spät zur Arbeit. I have to go, otherwise I'll be late for work.

soweit — insofar as, as far as

Usage: Describes a degree (abstract or concrete) to which an action or situation extends.

Soweit ich weiß, funktioniert der Computer. As far as I know, the computer works.

statt — instead of

Usage: A shorter, more casual version of anstatt, with the same function: introduces an action, event, or object that contrasts with, or is an alternative to, the one mentioned before.

Warum drehst du die Heizung auf, statt einen Pulli anzuziehen? Why are you turning the heating up instead of putting on a sweater?

um…zu — in order to

Usage: Gives a reason or purpose for an action or situation. When using um…zu, the infinitive form of the verb is used.

Er geht in die Bibliothek, um zu lernen. He goes to the library in order to study.

während — while

Usage: Describes events that happen at the same time.

Sie arbeitet am Computer, während er die Wohnung putzt. She works on her computer whilst he cleans the apartment.

weil — because

Usage: Indicates a cause-and-effect relationship between clauses. Unlike denn, weil can be used at the start of a sentence.

Sie ist wütend, weil sie ihre Brieftasche verloren hat. She is angry because she lost her wallet.

wann — if, when

Usage: Describes a specific point in time when something happens, which usually leads to another action.

Sag mir, wann du zur Party kommst. Tell me when you are coming to the party.

wenn — if, whenever

Usage: Introduces conditional situations, often repeated ones rather than single events or those happening at a specific time. Therefore, wenn is not limited to time-related contexts and is more versatile in its use.

Wenn Sie Fahrrad fahren, tragen Sie immer Ihren Helm. Whenever you ride a bike, always wear your helmet.

wie — how

Usage: Introduces a clause that asks for or provides more details about a mentioned action.

Können Sie mir sagen, wie ich zum Bahnhof komme? Can you tell me how to get to the train station?

wo — where

Usage: Introduces a clause that asks for or gives information about a specific place.

Wissen Sie, wo das Klassenzimmer ist? Do you know where the classroom is?

Whether they function as grammatical allies or adversaries, it's vital to understand both kinds of German conjunctions. They can significantly enhance your simple sentences, turning them into more refined and sophisticated structures.