Weitere Nebensatz-Konjunktionen
You already know weil, dass, and wenn push the verb to the end of the clause. This lesson adds five more high-frequency subordinating conjunctions that follow the exact same rule.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| obwohl | although |
| während | while / whereas |
| nachdem | after |
| bevor | before |
| sobald | as soon as |
Quick check: which word means "although"?
Ich gehe arbeiten, obwohl ich müde bin. (I go to work although I am tired.)
Während ich koche, hört sie Musik. (While I cook, she listens to music.)
Same pattern as weil: the conjugated verb moves to the very end of its own clause.
Quick check: "I go to work although I am tired" - which word goes at the end of the obwohl-clause?
Bevor ich schlafe, lese ich noch etwas. (Before I sleep, I read a little.)
Sobald ich ankomme, rufe ich dich an. (As soon as I arrive, I'll call you.)
Quick check: which word means "as soon as"?
nachdem (after) works the same way in word order, but strict written German pairs it with the Plusquamperfekt (a past-before-a-past tense) in the main clause, since the nachdem-action must already be finished: "Nachdem ich gegessen hatte, ging ich spazieren" (After I had eaten, I went for a walk). A later lesson covers Plusquamperfekt in full - for now, just recognize nachdem and its meaning; in relaxed speech, people often simplify this rule.
Nachdem ich gegessen habe, gehe ich spazieren. (informal spoken version: After I've eaten, I go for a walk.)
1. "While I cook, she listens to music" - ______ ich koche, hört sie Musik.
2. "Before I sleep, I read a little" - ______ ich schlafe, lese ich noch etwas.
Aligned with standard Goethe-Zertifikat B1 / telc B1 exam syllabus topics.
Want to practice linking two of your own daily actions with obwohl or bevor? Ask your teaching agent.