All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| ob | whether; if in an indirect yes/no question | uncertainty, asking, checking | Subordinate conjunction; finite verb at clause end |
| wenn | if; when | conditions and temporal occasions | Subordinate conjunction; finite verb at clause end |
ob
Meaning and usage: Use ob when a clause contains an unresolved yes/no question. It often follows knowing, asking, checking or wondering, but the uncertainty may also be expressed in other constructions. An ob clause does not itself state the condition under which another action will occur.
Grammar: Ob introduces a subordinate clause with the finite verb at the end. Separate the clause with a comma. It takes no noun case of its own; the verbs and prepositions inside the clause determine their objects.
Ich weiß nicht, ob Lara heute kommt.
I do not know whether Lara is coming today.
Kannst du prüfen, ob die Tür geschlossen ist?
Can you check whether the door is closed?
wenn
Meaning and usage: Use wenn when one situation is the condition for another. It can also introduce when an event happens or repeated occasions. A temporal wenn clause does not always express uncertainty; the event may be expected.
Grammar: Wenn introduces a subordinate clause with the finite verb at the end. If the wenn clause comes first, it occupies the first main-clause position: Wenn ..., kochen wir ... . Optional dann can make the consequence explicit.
Wenn Lara heute kommt, kochen wir zusammen.
If Lara comes today, we will cook together.
Wenn ich nach Hause komme, rufe ich dich an.
When I get home, I will call you.
Overlap and context
Compare Ich frage, ob sie kommt with ich freue mich, wenn sie kommt. The first embeds a question about her arrival; the second links gladness to her arrival as a condition or occasion. Ob can often be translated as whether. If replacing English if with whether preserves the intended question, ob is usually the relevant choice.
Common mistakes
- Do not use wenn after ich weiß nicht when you mean uncertainty about whether something happens.
- Place the finite verb at the end: ob sie kommt, not ob kommt sie.
- After an initial wenn clause, write komme ich or kochen wir; do not add a second first-position subject before the verb.
Memory aid: Ob asks whether; wenn sets a condition or occasion.
Try it
Complete: Ich frage mich, ___ der Kurs morgen stattfindet.
Show the answer
ob
The speaker wonders whether the course takes place. This is an indirect yes/no question, not a condition for another event.