Basic Sentence Structure (Word Order)
Common questions about Basic Sentence Structure (Word Order) in German grammar, each answered in depth with examples. Part of Sentence Structure & Conjunctions.
- What is the basic word order in a German main clause (declarative sentence)? Subject - Verb (position 2) - Object/Other elements - Time - Manner - Place. V2 Rule: The conjugated verb always occupi…
- What happens if I start a sentence with something other than the subject? The conjugated verb still stays in the second position, and the subject moves to the third position. Example: Gestern (…
- How does word order change in a question (yes/no)? The conjugated verb moves to the first position. Example: Hast (1) du (2) das Buch gelesen? (Have you read the book?)
- How does word order change in a W-question (interrogative)? The W-word (wer, was, wann, wo, warum, wie, etc.) is in the first position, and the conjugated verb is in the second po…
Full lessons on this
More Sentence Structure & Conjunctions topics
- Subordinate Clauses (Nebensätze) — 3 questions
- Coordinating Conjunctions — 1 questions
- Infinitivsätze (Infinitive Clauses) — 2 questions