German Conjunctions & Interjections — Learn & Memorize

German Conjunctions & Interjections

Grammar rules, word-order patterns, and 60+ examples with pronunciation — tap any card to reveal, press ▶ to hear it spoken.

Memorization Tips — Conjunctions

3 types, 3 word-order rulesCoordinating = no change. Subordinating = verb to the end. Correlative = paired words, normal order. Identify the type first, then you already know the word order.

"ADUSO" trickThe 6 coordinating conjunctions spell a memorable set: Aber, Denn, Und, Sondern, Oder (+ doch). None of them push the verb anywhere — say the sentence as if the conjunction wasn't there.

Verb-to-the-end checklistEvery subordinating conjunction (weil, dass, wenn, obwohl...) sends the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. If you see one of these words, expect the verb at the end.

Pair the oppositesaber (but) vs. sondern (but, on the contrary) — sondern only follows a negation and replaces it. "Er ist nicht müde, sondern krank" — not "aber krank."

Correlatives = matching halvessowohl...als auch, entweder...oder, weder...noch, je...desto — learn them as fixed pairs, never split apart, like learning "either...or" as one unit in English.

denn vs. weilBoth mean "because," but denn behaves like a coordinating conjunction (verb stays put) while weil is subordinating (verb to the end). Same meaning, different word order!

📌 Rule 1 — Three Types of Conjunctions

1. Coordinating (Nebenordnend) — word order unaffected

Clause 1 + conjunction + Clause 2 (both keep normal V2 order)

Ich lerne Deutsch, und mein Freund lernt Französisch.I'm learning German, and my friend is learning French.

Ich gehe ins Kino, aber sie bleibt zu Hause.I'm going to the cinema, but she's staying home.

2. Subordinating (Unterordnend) — verb moves to the end

Main clause + conjunction + ... + verb (end of clause)

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil es regnet.I'm staying home because it's raining.

Ich weiß, dass du recht hast.I know that you are right.

3. Correlative (Zweigliedrig) — paired linking words

First part ... second part, both halves required

Sowohl Peter als auch Anna kommen zur Party.Both Peter and Anna are coming to the party.

Entweder du kommst, oder wir gehen ohne dich.Either you come, or we go without you.

📌 Rule 2 — Coordinating Conjunctions: The Core Six

Key pattern: both clauses keep their own normal verb-second order

Coordinating conjunctions simply glue two independent, equal clauses together. Neither clause changes its structure.

Subject + Verb ..., conjunction + Subject + Verb ...

Conjunction	Meaning	Example
und	and	Ich habe Brot gekauft, und ich habe Milch geholt.
oder	or	Wir könnten ins Kino gehen, oder wir bleiben zu Hause.
aber	but	Ich gehe ins Kino, aber sie bleibt zu Hause.
denn	because (for)	Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn es regnet.
sondern	but (on the contrary)	Es regnet nicht, sondern die Sonne scheint.
doch	however/yet	Er ist müde, doch er arbeitet weiter.

aber vs. sondern — don't mix them up

sondern can only follow a negative statement (nicht/kein) and replaces the negated idea with a contrasting one. aber works everywhere else.

Er ist nicht müde, sondern krank.He isn't tired, but (rather) sick.

Er ist müde, aber er arbeitet weiter.He is tired, but he keeps working.

📌 Rule 3 — Subordinating Conjunctions: Verb-Last Word Order

Key pattern: the conjugated verb is pushed to the very end of the dependent clause

..., conjunction + Subject + (objects/adverbs) + Verb.

The main clause verb stays in position 2 as usual — only the dependent clause's verb moves.

Ich glaube, dass er heute kommt.I believe that he is coming today.

Er ging, bevor ich ankam.He left before I arrived.

Ich weiß nicht, ob sie uns besucht.I don't know whether she will visit us.

Dependent clause first → verb-comma-verb

If the dependent clause comes first, its verb is still last in its own clause, and the main clause verb immediately follows the comma (position 2 of the whole sentence).

Conjunction + ... + Verb1, Verb2 + Subject + ...

Weil es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause.Because it's raining, I'm staying home.

Obwohl er müde war, arbeitete er weiter.Although he was tired, he kept working.

Conjunction	Meaning	Example
dass	that	Ich wusste nicht, dass du schon da bist.
weil	because	Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.
wenn	if/when	Er ruft mich an, wenn er Zeit hat.
als	when (past, single event)	Ich war glücklich, als ich die Nachricht hörte.
ob	whether	Ich weiß nicht, ob sie uns besucht.
bevor	before	Er ging, bevor ich ankam.
nachdem	after	Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er schlafen.
obwohl	although	Er ging spazieren, obwohl es regnete.
damit	so that	Sie spricht laut, damit alle hören können.
während	while	Während ich kochte, las er ein Buch.
falls	in case	Falls du Zeit hast, ruf mich an.
bis	until	Wir müssen warten, bis er fertig ist.
seit/seitdem	since	Seitdem er umgezogen ist, sehen wir uns selten.
sobald	as soon as	Sobald ich ankomme, rufe ich dich an.
solange	as long as	Solange du hier bist, bin ich glücklich.

📌 Rule 4 — Correlative Conjunctions: Fixed Pairs

Each pair must be learned and used as a unit

Word order inside each half follows normal rules (these don't push the verb to the end) — only the linking structure is special.

Pair	Meaning	Example
sowohl ... als auch	both ... and	Sowohl mein Bruder als auch meine Schwester kommen.
entweder ... oder	either ... or	Entweder du gehst, oder ich gehe.
weder ... noch	neither ... nor	Er spricht weder Deutsch noch Englisch.
nicht nur ... sondern auch	not only ... but also	Nicht nur ist er klug, sondern auch sehr fleißig.
je ... desto/umso	the ... the	Je schneller du arbeitest, desto früher bist du fertig.

je ... desto — both verbs go to special positions

In the je clause the verb goes to the end (like a subordinating clause); in the desto clause the verb stays in normal V2 position right after desto + comparative.

Je länger wir warten, desto schwieriger wird es.The longer we wait, the harder it gets.

📌 Rule 5 — Putting It All Together

Combining Main Clauses (Hauptsätze)

Use coordinating conjunctions to link two main clauses, each keeping normal order.

Ich habe Hunger, und ich möchte essen.I am hungry, and I want to eat.

Linking Main & Dependent Clauses

Use subordinating conjunctions to introduce the dependent clause; its verb goes to the end.

Wir bleiben zu Hause, weil es regnet.We're staying home because it's raining.

Expressing Contrasts or Choices

Use correlative conjunctions for emphasis and structured comparisons.

Nicht nur das Wetter ist schlecht, sondern auch die Straßen sind gefährlich.Not only is the weather bad, but the roads are also dangerous.

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Memorization Tips — Interjections

They stand aloneInterjections are not grammatically linked to the rest of the sentence — they're little emotional outbursts. You never have to worry about declension, case, or word order with them.

Group by emotion, not spellingPain (Au!, Aua!), disgust (Pfui!, Ihh!, Igitt!), relief (Puh!, Gott sei Dank!) — clustering by the feeling they express makes recall instant in the moment you need it.

Punctuation is part of the wordInterjections almost always end in an exclamation mark when standalone: Au! Hilfe! Bravo! Keep the "!" in your mental flashcard — it's part of how the word feels.

Onomatopoeia mirrors English logicWuff (woof), Miau (meow), Boom (boom) — many sound-words are close to their English equivalents, so lean on that similarity rather than rote memorizing.

Hesitation words carry tone, not meaningNa ja, Tja, Hm don't translate word-for-word — they signal an attitude (resignation, thinking, doubt). Learn the *feeling* they convey, not a literal translation.

Practice them out loudInterjections are overwhelmingly spoken-language words. Say them with exaggerated emotion — Au! with a wince, Hurra! with a cheer — physical association locks them in faster than silent reading.

📌 Rule 1 — What Makes a Word an Interjection

Key features

Emotion-based: express surprise, joy, anger, pain, or hesitation
Independent: can function as a standalone exclamation
Informal: mostly used in spoken language or informal writing
Not declined or conjugated: they never change form

Interjection! + rest of sentence (grammatically separate)

Ah! Jetzt verstehe ich es!Ah! Now I understand it!

The 6 Categories — Quick Reference

Emotional: Ah!, Oh!, Au!, Pfui!, Ach!expressing feelings: surprise, pain, disgust, regret

Greetings: Hallo!, Tschüss!, Danke!Hello!, Bye!, Thank you!

Onomatopoeic: Miau!, Wuff!, Boom!Meow!, Woof!, Boom!

Approval/Disapproval: Ja!, Nein!, Hm.Yes!, No!, Hmm.

Commands/Attention: Hey!, Halt!, Achtung!Hey!, Stop!, Attention!

Celebratory: Hurra!, Juhu!, Prost!Hooray!, Yay!, Cheers!

📌 Rule 2 — Emotional & Disgust/Surprise Interjections

Surprise & realization

Ah! Jetzt verstehe ich es!Ah! Now I understand it!

Huch! Das war knapp!Whoops! That was close!

Pain & disgust

Au! Das tut weh!Ouch! That hurts!

Pfui! Das ist ja ekelhaft!Yuck! That's disgusting!

📌 Rule 3 — Greetings & Onomatopoeic Interjections

Greetings are interjections too

Hallo, Tschüss, Guten Morgen, Willkommen, Danke, and Bitte all function as standalone interjections — they attach to no clause and need no conjugation.

Hallo! Wie geht's dir?Hello! How are you?

Danke! Das war sehr nett von dir.Thank you! That was very kind of you.

Onomatopoeia — imitating sounds

Der Hund macht immer wuff!The dog always goes woof!

Boom! Der Blitz schlug ein.Boom! The lightning struck.

📌 Rule 4 — Approval, Disapproval & Hesitation

Clear agreement or disagreement

Ja! Das ist eine gute Idee.Yes! That's a good idea.

Nein! Ich bin nicht einverstanden.No! I disagree.

Hesitation, relief & resignation

Puh! Das war knapp!Whew! That was close!

Tja, das hätte besser laufen können.Well, that could have gone better.

📌 Rule 5 — Commands, Attention & Celebration

Grabbing attention or commanding

Hey! Was machst du da?Hey! What are you doing there?

Achtung! Der Zug kommt!Attention! The train is coming!

Joy and celebration

Hurra! Wir haben gewonnen!Hooray! We won!

Prost! Auf eine gute Zeit!Cheers! To a good time!

Emotion	German	Translation
Surprise	Ah!, Oh!, Huch!	Ah!, Oh!, Whoops!
Pain	Au!, Aua!	Ouch!
Disgust	Pfui!, Ihh!, Igitt!	Yuck!, Ew!
Admiration	Wow!, Oho!, Toll!	Wow!, Oho!, Great!
Frustration	Ach!, Mist!	Oh!, Darn!
Joy	Hurra!, Juhu!, Bravo!	Hooray!, Yay!, Bravo!
Relief	Puh!, Gott sei Dank!	Whew!, Thank God!
Resignation	Tja, Na ja.	Well, Oh well.

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Lesson 11: German Conjunctions & Interjections

Passage Text