​​Sentence Structure – Word Order in German Grammar
​Word order in main clauses is a very flexible concept in German. It is quite typical, for example, for the object to be placed first in the sentence.
Example:
Der Hund fängt den Ball. The dog catches the ball.
Den Ball fängt der Hund. The ball catches the dog.
Learn how to formulate yes-no questions (closed questions), W-questions (open questions), and indirect questions. There is also a list of the most important German question words.
Example:
Habt ihr Zeit? Do you have time?
Wann ist der Bus angekommen?
When did the bus arrive?
​In German, we create negative sentences by using the words nicht and kein. Find out when to use nicht and kein and where to put them in a sentence.
Example:
Ich habe dich nicht gesehen. I didn't see you.
Ich habe keinen Hunger. I am not hungry.
​Learn the main types of dependent clauses: indirect questions, infinitive clauses, participial clauses, conjunction clauses, relative clauses, conditional clauses, and indirect speech.
Example:
Ich freue mich sehr, dich kennenzulernen. I am very happy to meet you.
Weil er krank war, blieb ich daheim. Because he was sick, I stayed at home.
