All A2 German Conjunctions: Examples and Positioning
Max hat lange geschlafen, doch er ist immer noch müde. This sentence uses one of the A2 conjunctions. In this lesson, Luzi from YourGermanTeacher shows you all A2 German conjunctions and connectors with example sentences from a day in Max's life, and explains in which position each one stands and whether it is followed by a main clause or a subordinate clause.
If you do not know the terms Hauptsatz (main clause) and Nebensatz (subordinate clause) yet, start with the A1 lesson linked below.
Position 0: Hauptsatz Conjunctions
1. doch (but)
Max hat lange geschlafen, doch er ist immer noch müde. (Max slept for a long time, but he is still tired.) Doch stands on position 0, so the subject comes next and the verb is in second position.
2. sondern (but, instead)
Er isst kein Brot zum Frühstück, sondern Müsli mit Milch. The full second clause would be sondern er isst Müsli mit Milch. Because the subject and verb are the same, they can be dropped. Sondern only works after a negative sentence (see the bonus tip).
Position 1: Subjunktionen (Followed by a Nebensatz)
Here the conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause.
| Conjunction | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| als | when (in the past) | Max hat viel Brot gegessen, als er ein Kind war. | Max ate a lot of bread when he was a child. |
| als | than | Er hat heute weniger Hunger, als er gedacht hat. | He is less hungry today than he thought. |
| bevor | before | Max macht seine Hausaufgaben, bevor er in die Schule geht. | Max does his homework before he goes to school. |
| bis | until | Auf dem Weg hört er Musik, bis er in der Schule ist. | On the way he listens to music until he gets to school. |
| wenn | when, if | Er fährt immer mit dem Bus, wenn es regnet. | He always takes the bus when it rains. |
| da | because | Seine Deutschstunde war gut, da er vorher wiederholt hat. | His German lesson was good because he reviewed beforehand. |
| damit | so that, in order to | Am Mittag isst er in der Mensa, damit er Geld sparen kann. | At lunchtime he eats in the canteen so that he can save money. |
| seit / seitdem | since | Er hat schon viel Geld gespart, seit er mittags in der Mensa ist. | He has already saved a lot of money since he eats lunch in the canteen. |
With als, remember: whenever you say "when" about the past, use als. In the Perfekt sentences, the auxiliary verb (hat) goes to the end. With a modal verb (kann), the modal verb is last. In class you may hear these called Subjunktionen. The grammar term is not important, the position is.
Wiederholen means to repeat or review. Luzi recommends reviewing after every German class, because it makes a huge difference.
Position 1: Connectors Followed by a Main Clause
Dann and deshalb are officially Konjunktionaladverbien (adverbs), but you can treat them as connectors. They stand on position 1, followed by a main clause, so the verb is in second position.
- dann (then): Am Nachmittag macht er Sport, dann geht er nach Hause.
- deshalb (therefore, so): Max möchte in Berlin studieren, deshalb lernt er Deutsch.
Summary
| Group | Conjunctions | Position | Followed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hauptsatz conjunctions | und, oder, aber, denn, doch, sondern | 0 | main clause |
| Subjunktionen | weil, dass, als, bevor, bis, da, damit, seit/seitdem, wenn | 1 | subordinate clause (verb at the end) |
| Konjunktionaladverbien | dann, deshalb | 1 | main clause (verb in second position) |
The six conjunctions on position 0 are the only ones in German that stand on position 0. All other connectors stand on position 1.
Bonus Tip 1: Start with the Nebensatz and da vs. weil
You can start the sentence with the subordinate clause: Da ich müde bin, gehe ich schlafen. This is possible with almost all subjunctions, but it is not that common. It is common with als, da, seit and wenn.
That is also the main difference between da and weil: both mean because, but if you want to start the sentence with because, use da.
Bonus Tip 2: aber, doch or sondern?
Er trinkt viel Tee, aber nur wenig Kaffee. and Er trinkt viel Tee, doch nur wenig Kaffee. mean the same. Doch is a little stronger and emphasizes more. Sondern does not work here: Er trinkt viel Tee, sondern nur wenig Kaffee. is wrong.
The reason: sondern can only be used after a negative sentence (with nicht or kein). Er trinkt nicht viel Tee, sondern viel Kaffee. After a negative sentence you can use all three (aber, doch, sondern), after a positive sentence only aber and doch. More examples with sondern:
- Er trinkt keinen Tee, sondern nur Kaffee.
- Er schaut keine Filme, sondern liest Bücher.
- Er kauft nicht viele Bücher, sondern nur eins pro Jahr.
You will often see sondern together with nur or auch, in the two-part connector nicht nur ... sondern auch.
Homework
Write three sentences: one with a position-0 conjunction, one with a subjunction (subordinate clause) and one with an adverb connector (dann or deshalb).
What to Learn Next
Start with All A1 German Conjunctions: und, oder, aber, weil. For the details, read Sondern vs. Aber, ALS oder WENN?, SEIT & BIS used as German Conjunctions and How to use deshalb. Then continue with the two-part connectors in German Double Conjunctions: Zweiteilige Konnektoren.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the A2 German conjunctions?
Doch and sondern (position 0, main clause), als, bevor, bis, wenn, da, damit and seit/seitdem (position 1, subordinate clause), and the connectors dann and deshalb (position 1, main clause).
Which German conjunctions stand on position 0?
Only six: und, oder, aber, denn, doch and sondern. They do not count as a position, so the sentence keeps the normal order of subject and verb.
What is the difference between da and weil?
Both mean because. If you want to start the sentence with the reason, use da: Da ich müde bin, gehe ich schlafen.
When can I use sondern instead of aber?
Only after a negative sentence with nicht or kein: Er trinkt nicht viel Tee, sondern viel Kaffee. After a positive sentence use aber or doch.
Where does the verb go after dann and deshalb?
In second position, because they are followed by a main clause: Max möchte in Berlin studieren, deshalb lernt er Deutsch.
Want to practise A2 conjunctions and word order with clear explanations? Our A2 German online course covers the whole level step by step.
