Connectors & Word Order (Konnektoren)

In English, linking words like however, because, and therefore barely touch sentence structure. In German, knowing which structural group a connector belongs to matters just as much as knowing its translation. Even two words with the same meaning—such as denn and weil (because), or aber and obwohl (contrast)—place the conjugated verb in completely different spots.

Every German connector falls cleanly into one of three word-order groups.

The 3 Groups of German Connectors

See Coordinating Conjunctions (ADUSO) and Subordinating Conjunctions for full guides on Groups 1 and 3, or Two-Part Connectors for paired structures.

The Same Idea, Three Different Word Orders

Comparing one idea across all three groups makes the grammar crystal clear:

Expressing Concession (Rain vs. Going for a Walk)

1. Group 1 — Coordinating (Position 0):
   • Es regnet, aber wir gehen spazieren. (It’s raining, but we’re going for a walk.)
2. Group 2 — Conjunctional Adverb (Position 1 → Verb → Subject):
   • Es regnet. Trotzdem gehen wir spazieren. (It’s raining. Nevertheless, we’re going for a walk.)
3. Group 3 — Subordinating (Verb at the End):
   • Wir gehen spazieren, obwohl es regnet. (We’re going for a walk even though it’s raining.)

Expressing Cause and Result (Fever vs. Staying Home)

1. Group 1 — Coordinating (denn):
   • Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich habe Fieber (das Fieber). (I’m staying home because I have a fever.)
2. Group 2 — Conjunctional Adverb (deshalb):
   • Ich habe Fieber, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. (I have a fever, therefore I’m staying home.)
3. Group 3 — Subordinating (weil):
   • Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich Fieber habe. (I’m staying home because I have a fever.)

Look closely at the deshalb sentence: because deshalb introduces a main clause, formal style often separates the two clauses with a period or semicolon (Ich habe Fieber. Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.), though joining them with a comma is also widespread in everyday writing. Either way, the word order after deshalb stays Verb → Subject (bleibe ich)!

Conjunctional Adverbs Can Move Inside the Middle Field

Because Group 2 words are grammatically adverbs, they are not glued to the start of the clause. Whenever the subject (or another element) sits in Position 1, a conjunctional adverb can move smoothly into the middle field (Mittelfeld) right after the conjugated verb:

• Wir gehen trotzdem spazieren. (We are going for a walk anyway.)
• Ich bleibe deshalb zu Hause. (I am staying home for that reason.)
• Er hatte außerdem keine Zeit (die Zeit). (Besides, he had no time.)

By contrast, Group 3 subordinating conjunctions (weil, obwohl, nachdem) and almost all Group 1 coordinating conjunctions (denn, und, oder, sondern) cannot move into the middle field.

Watch Out: Five Common Traps

1. Same meaning, opposite verb slot (denn vs. weil): Both mean because, yet denn keeps V2 (denn ich habe Fieber) while weil kicks the verb to the end (weil ich Fieber habe).
2. Fronted subordinate clauses trigger Verb-Comma-Verb: When a Group 3 clause begins the sentence, it fills Position 1 as a whole unit, so the main clause starts immediately with its conjugated verb:
   • Weil es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. (NOT wir bleiben)
3. Don’t confuse nachdem (Group 3) with danach (Group 2): Nachdem is a subordinating conjunction requiring a verb-final clause (Nachdem wir gegessen haben, gehen wir spazieren). Danach is a conjunctional adverb in Position 1:
   • Wir essen. Danach gehen wir spazieren. (NEVER Nachdem gehen wir spazieren!)
4. Don’t confuse damit (Group 3) with dann (Group 2): Damit (“so that”) sends the verb to the end (damit du es verstehst), whereas dann (“then”) puts the verb right after it (Dann gehen wir los).
5. The aber exception: Unlike denn, und, oder, sondern, coordinating aber can also slide inside the second clause’s middle field (Ich wollte kommen, ich hatte aber keine Zeit).

Common Mistakes to Avoid