I can give a reason: answer a Warum …? question with a full weil sentence and get it right — the conjugated verb goes to the very end.
Why: weil sends the verb to the end
Why: weil sends the verb to the end
To give a reason in German, you answer the question Warum …? with a whole sentence: first the main clause, then a comma and weil (“because”).
Unlike English “because”, weil always has a comma before it: Lena spart, weil der Urlaub viel kostet.
The main rule: after weil, the conjugated verb goes to the very end; English keeps its usual order here, German doesn't. The subject comes right after weil, and everything else goes in between.
What goes to the end:
• a simple verb form;
• a separable verb — the prefix is written together with it again;
• a modal verb — it comes after the infinitive;
• haben or sein in the Perfekt — they come last;
• the form war or hatte.
There's an example of each in the second table.
In this lesson, the weil clause (a part of the sentence with its own subject and verb) comes after the main clause. How to put it first is in the next lesson.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich habe kein Geld” — the verb goes to the end.
• NOT “…, weil er das Geld aus gibt” — at the end, the prefix is written together with the verb.
• NOT “…, weil ich muss sparen” — the modal verb comes last.
• NOT “Paul spart weil der Kredit teuer ist” — you need a comma before weil.
How a sentence with weil is built
There's a comma before weil, and the conjugated verb goes at the very end.
| Main clause | Conjunction | Subject and what's in between | Verb at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wir gehen ins Kino | , weil | der Film gut | ist |
| Paul bezahlt die Miete | , weil | er heute Geld | bekommt |
| Ich frage die Chefin | , weil | ich das Formular nicht | verstehe |
What exactly goes to the end
On the left, the usual order; on the right, the same verb after weil.
| Form | Ordinary sentence | After weil |
|---|---|---|
| simple form | Das Zimmer ist klein | …, weil das Zimmer klein ist |
| separable verb — written as one word | Er gibt viel Geld aus | …, weil er viel Geld ausgibt |
| modal — after the infinitive | Wir müssen warten | …, weil wir warten müssen |
| Perfekt — haben or sein last | Ich habe gekauft | …, weil ich gekauft habe |
| war and hatte — also at the end | Wir hatten keine Zeit | …, weil wir keine Zeit hatten |
Lesson notes
Why: weil sends the verb to the end
To give a reason in German, you answer the question Warum …? with a whole sentence: first the main clause, then a comma and weil (“because”).
Unlike English “because”, weil always has a comma before it: Lena spart, weil der Urlaub viel kostet.
The main rule: after weil, the conjugated verb goes to the very end; English keeps its usual order here, German doesn't. The subject comes right after weil, and everything else goes in between.
What goes to the end:
• a simple verb form;
• a separable verb — the prefix is written together with it again;
• a modal verb — it comes after the infinitive;
• haben or sein in the Perfekt — they come last;
• the form war or hatte.
There's an example of each in the second table.
In this lesson, the weil clause (a part of the sentence with its own subject and verb) comes after the main clause. How to put it first is in the next lesson.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich habe kein Geld” — the verb goes to the end.
• NOT “…, weil er das Geld aus gibt” — at the end, the prefix is written together with the verb.
• NOT “…, weil ich muss sparen” — the modal verb comes last.
• NOT “Paul spart weil der Kredit teuer ist” — you need a comma before weil.