Wenn, wann and als: choosing German when
Use wann to ask at what time, including indirect questions. Use wenn for conditions and for temporal when in present, future or repeated past situations. Use temporal als for a single past situation. A single past situation can last years; it need not be a brief moment.
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| wenn | if; when; whenever | Conditions and repeated or nonpast events | Subordinating conjunction; finite verb last. |
| wann | at what time | Direct and indirect time questions | Question adverb; indirect-question finite verb last. |
| als | when in a single past situation | One past event or period | Temporal subordinating conjunction; finite verb last. |
wenn
Meaning and usage: Wenn introduces a condition, or a time at which something happens. In temporal use, it fits present and future situations and repeated past events. Immer wenn highlights whenever. A one-off future event still takes wenn, so “once means als” is incomplete. First decide whether the sentence asks for a time or states a condition/time relationship.
Grammar: Subordinating conjunction: finite verb normally at clause end. If the wenn-clause comes first, the main clause follows with its finite verb before the subject.
Wenn der Kurs endet, gehen wir zusammen zum Bahnhof.
When the course ends, we go to the station together.
wann
Meaning and usage: Wann asks which time is meant. It remains wann when the question is embedded in another sentence: Ich weiß nicht, wann … . That indirect question does not become wenn merely because its verb goes to the end. Other constructions with wann exist, but the direct-versus-indirect question pattern is the most useful starting point.
Grammar: Interrogative adverb. Direct question: Wann beginnt der Kurs? Indirect question: … wann der Kurs beginnt, with finite verb last.
Weißt du, wann der nächste Bus fährt?
Do you know when the next bus leaves?
als
Meaning and usage: Temporal als locates something within a particular past situation. That can be an event yesterday or a long phase such as childhood. The situation is presented as one past setting rather than repeatedly occurring occasions. Als also has comparison and role uses, such as größer als and als Lehrerin; those belong to other constructions.
Grammar: Temporal subordinating conjunction: finite verb normally last. A preceding als-clause occupies the main clause’s first position.
Als ich in Köln wohnte, fuhr ich oft mit der Straßenbahn.
When I lived in Cologne, I often took the tram.
Overlap and context
In the last example, the tram journeys repeat, but the Köln-residence phase is one past setting, so als is appropriate. Wenn ich früher meine Tante besuchte describes repeated visits. Look at the situation named by the subordinate clause, rather than counting every action anywhere in the sentence.
Common mistakes
- Use wann in an indirect time question: Ich frage, wann du kommst. It asks for a time, not a condition.
- A future event does not use temporal als simply because it will happen once. Use wenn.
- Keep verb-final order in ordinary wenn/als subordinate clauses, and in indirect questions with wann.
Memory aid: Ask a time with wann; set a condition or repeated/nonpast time with wenn; frame one past situation with als.
Try it
Complete: ___ ich gestern die Tür öffnete, stand ein Paket davor.
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Als
The subordinate clause describes one specific past event yesterday, not a repeated occasion.
Sources for meaning and usage
als vs. wie: meanings and usage in German
In standard German comparisons, use als after a comparative: größer als. Use wie with an equal-degree comparison: so groß wie. Both have other meanings, so this rule belongs to comparison constructions, not every sentence containing either word. Regional speech may use größer wie, but größer als is the safe choice for edited writing and exams.
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| als | than; as; when | unequal comparison, role or past time | comparison phrase or verb-final clause |
| wie | as; like; how | comparison, resemblance or manner | phrase; question or verb-final clause |
als
Meaning and usage: Use als to connect the second item after comparative adjectives or adverbs: older than, sooner than, more than. In another construction it describes a real role or capacity, such as als Lehrerin arbeiten. Temporal als introduces a past occasion or period. These uses share a spelling but need separate sentence patterns.
Grammar: Als does not automatically impose dative or accusative on a comparison; the sentence roles determine case. A short comparison phrase needs no comma. A full subordinate comparison or temporal clause normally has a comma and a final conjugated verb. Keep the main clause's finite verb second if the subordinate clause comes first.
Dieser Weg ist kürzer als der andere.
This route is shorter than the other one.
Als ich ankam, war das Büro schon geschlossen.
When I arrived, the office was already closed.
wie
Meaning and usage: Use wie in so … wie and genauso … wie comparisons. It also follows quantified so patterns such as doppelt so … wie: that means twice as much, not equality. It also expresses resemblance without a degree word: wie ein Profi. A question beginning Wie …? asks how, and an indirect question can introduce the manner in which something happens.
Grammar: A short wie comparison phrase needs no comma. A complete dependent clause uses final verb position: so schnell, wie ich kann. A direct Wie question places its finite verb second: Wie funktioniert das? In Ich weiß, wie das funktioniert, the indirect question has verb-final order.
Meine Tasche ist genauso schwer wie deine.
My bag is just as heavy as yours.
Ich weiß nicht, wie dieses Gerät funktioniert.
I do not know how this device works.
Overlap and context
English as may translate as als for a role and wie for resemblance: Sie arbeitet als Lehrerin says she is working as a teacher; sie erklärt es wie eine Lehrerin compares her explanation to a teacher's. Regional comparative wie and als wie are real usage, but do not make them the standard recommendation. Also, nicht so groß wie uses the equal-degree construction even though the whole sentence denies equality; the adjective form and frame decide the connector.
Common mistakes
- For standard writing, use größer als, not größer wie or größer als wie.
- Use so groß wie, not so groß als in the ordinary modern standard comparison.
- Do not add a comma before every short als or wie phrase; distinguish a phrase from a complete clause.
- Do not keep main-clause order inside an indirect wie question: wie das funktioniert has the verb at the end.
Memory aid: More or less: comparative + als. As … as: so + adjective + wie. Then ask whether you have a role, time clause or how-question instead of a comparison.
Try it
Complete: Der neue Kurs ist günstiger ___ der alte, aber genauso lang ___ der alte.
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als; wie
Günstiger is comparative and takes als. Genauso lang is the equal-degree frame and takes wie.
Sources for meaning and usage
Ob or wenn? Two different meanings of English if
Use ob when the question is whether something is true or will happen: I do not know if she is coming. Use wenn for a condition: if she comes, we will cook. Wenn can also mean when for a present or future occasion, or repeated events. English 'if' therefore requires you to identify the relationship between the clauses first.
| 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.
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ob
The speaker wonders whether the course takes place. This is an indirect yes/no question, not a condition for another event.
Sources for meaning and usage
Weil, denn and da: three German words for giving a reason
Weil, denn and causal da all introduce a reason. The biggest practical difference is word order: in standard written German, weil and da introduce clauses with the finite verb at the end; denn connects to a clause with normal main-clause word order. Weil readily answers Warum? Da often presents the reason as background or something already understandable. This is a usage tendency, not a law that a da reason must be known to every listener.
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| weil | because | Giving or answering a reason | Subordinating conjunction; no inflection. Finite verb at the end of its standard clause. If the whole weil clause comes first, the main clause begins with its finite verb after the comma. |
| denn | for; because | Adding a reason with main-clause syntax | Coordinating causal connector; no inflection. Does not occupy the first constituent position in the following main clause: denn + subject + finite verb is common. Use a comma before the connected explanatory clause. |
| da | since; as, in its causal sense | A reason framed as background | Subordinating causal conjunction; no inflection. Standard verb-final clause. An initial da clause fills the first position before the main-clause finite verb. |
weil
Meaning and usage: Weil directly explains why something happens. You can put its clause after the main clause or at the beginning. It is the natural simple answer to a why question. In spontaneous speech, you may hear a distinct verb-second weil construction; for ordinary formal writing and beginner exercises, use the standard verb-final pattern.
Grammar: Subordinating conjunction; no inflection. Finite verb at the end of its standard clause. If the whole weil clause comes first, the main clause begins with its finite verb after the comma.
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich morgen früh arbeiten muss.
I am staying at home because I have to work early tomorrow.
Weil der Bus ausfällt, nehmen wir den Zug.
Because the bus is cancelled, we take the train.
denn
Meaning and usage: Denn adds an explanation to the preceding clause. It is useful when you want to keep a main-clause sentence pattern. Causal denn is different from the conversational particle denn in questions such as Was machst du denn? That particle does not mean because.
Grammar: Coordinating causal connector; no inflection. Does not occupy the first constituent position in the following main clause: denn + subject + finite verb is common. Use a comma before the connected explanatory clause.
Ich nehme den Zug, denn der Bus fährt heute nicht.
I am taking the train because the bus is not running today.
da
Meaning and usage: Causal da introduces a reason that the speaker treats as a starting point for the statement. It often fits an initial clause: Da wir wenig Zeit haben, … . The familiar local adverb da meaning there is a different use of the same spelling; here we are comparing reasons.
Grammar: Subordinating causal conjunction; no inflection. Standard verb-final clause. An initial da clause fills the first position before the main-clause finite verb.
Da wir wenig Zeit haben, beginnen wir sofort.
Since we have little time, we start immediately.
Overlap and context
All three may explain the same decision. Weil and da overlap considerably; avoid pretending they express different kinds of objective causation in every sentence. Spoken verb-second weil is documented with its own discourse uses, so it should not be dismissed as impossible German. Still, the verb-final pattern is the reliable choice for the formal writing taught here.
Common mistakes
- Do not keep denn word order after standard weil: weil der Bus nicht fährt.
- Do not put the causal denn clause first as if it were a weil clause.
- After an initial reason clause, write Da ich müde bin, gehe ich …, not … ich gehe … .
Memory aid: Weil and da send the finite verb to the end; denn leaves the following clause’s main-clause order intact. Learn the reason word together with the sentence shape.
Try it
Complete: Ich lerne heute nicht, denn ich ___ müde.
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bin
Denn keeps main-clause order: ich bin müde. After standard weil, you would write weil ich müde bin.