Satzbau I: German Main Clause Word Order
In a German main clause, the conjugated verb stands in position 2 in statements and W-questions, and in position 1 in yes-or-no questions. In this lesson Luzi explains the three types of main clauses (Hauptsatz) with examples, shows you how to count the positions, and ends with the bonus tip TeKaMoLo: the usual order of time, reason, manner and place.
What Is a Hauptsatz?
Satzbau means sentence structure. A Hauptsatz (main clause) is a clause that is a complete sentence, can stand alone, and has a subject and a verb. There are three types of main clauses:
- Aussagen (statements): anything that is not a question.
- W-Fragen (W-questions): questions with a question word, such as Woher kommst du? Wie geht es dir? Was machst du?
- Ja/Nein-Fragen (yes-or-no questions): questions you answer with yes or no.
1. Statements: The Verb Is in Position 2
| Position 1 | Position 2 | Position 3 | Position 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ich (subject) | esse (verb) | um 8 Uhr | FrĂŒhstĂŒck. |
| Hans | isst | gern | Spaghetti. |
| Wir | sprechen | heute | Deutsch. |
Position 1 is the subject, position 2 is the conjugated verb, and everything else is an ErgÀnzung (addition). An ErgÀnzung is any additional part of a sentence, such as an adverb or an object. For now, you only need to know the subject and the conjugated verb.
The rule: the conjugated verb always stands in position 2. This is often called the SVO structure (subject, verb, object), as in English. But German lets you move the other parts:
- Wir sprechen heute Deutsch. (The normal order.)
- Heute sprechen wir Deutsch. (Position 1 is the ErgÀnzung heute, the verb stays in position 2, and the subject moves to position 3.)
- Deutsch sprechen wir heute. (Position 1 is Deutsch, the verb is again in position 2.)
The subject can stand in position 1 or position 3, but it always stands either before or right after the conjugated verb.
2. W-Questions: Question Word, Then the Verb
| Position 1 | Position 2 | Position 3 | Position 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Was (question word) | esst (verb) | ihr (subject) | gern? |
| Wie | geht | es | dir? |
| Wann | lernst | du | Deutsch? |
The rule: the question word (Fragewort) always stands in position 1, and the verb stays in position 2.
3. Yes-or-No Questions: The Verb Is in Position 1
| Position 1 | Position 2 | Position 3 | Position 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schaust (verb) | du (subject) | gern | FuĂball? |
| Hört | er | oft | Musik? |
| Essen | wir | heute Abend | zu Hause? |
The rule: in yes-or-no questions the verb stands in position 1 and the subject in position 2.
Quick Summary
| Type | Position of the verb |
|---|---|
| Statement (Aussage) | position 2 |
| W-question (W-Frage) | position 2 |
| Yes-or-no question (Ja/Nein-Frage) | position 1 |
Bonus Tip: TeKaMoLo
You may have heard the word TeKaMoLo, in English often called time, manner, place. It stands for:
| Letters | Meaning | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Te | temporal (time) | Wann? (when) |
| Ka | kausal (reason) | Warum? (why) |
| Mo | modal (manner) | Wie? (how) |
| Lo | lokal (place) | Wo? Wohin? (where) |
The reason (Ka) is not very common, so in most sentences you only have time, manner and place. TeKaMoLo is not a strict rule, it is more of a guideline.
Example 1: Hans
Subject: Hans. Verb: fahren. Manner: mit dem Bus. Place: in die Schule. Time: morgen.
- Hans fÀhrt morgen mit dem Bus in die Schule. (Hans goes to school by bus tomorrow. Order: subject, verb, time, manner, place.)
Example 2: Lisa
Subject: Lisa. Verb: gehen. Manner: zu FuĂ. Place: ins Kino. Time: am Dienstag.
- Lisa geht am Dienstag zu FuĂ ins Kino. (Lisa walks to the cinema on Tuesday.)
Emphasizing Something Else
If you want to emphasize a part of the sentence, you put it at the beginning. The verb always stays in second position.
- Am Dienstag geht Lisa zu FuĂ ins Kino. (You emphasize Tuesday.)
- Zu FuĂ geht Lisa am Dienstag ins Kino. (You emphasize how she gets there.)
- Ins Kino geht Lisa am Dienstag zu FuĂ. (You emphasize the place.)
If it is a normal sentence with nothing special, just use the guideline. The most important rule is still that the conjugated verb stands in second position.
What to Learn Next
Continue the series with Satzbau II: German subordinate clauses and the full explanation of Satzbau IV: TeKaMoLo and German word order. For more word order in a bigger picture, watch German word order explained: the sentence kingdom and avoid the typical errors in 20 common German sentence structure mistakes. The W-questions are explained in basic German question words.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Hauptsatz in German?
A Hauptsatz (main clause) is a clause that is a complete sentence, can stand alone, and has a subject and a verb.
Where does the verb stand in a German statement?
The conjugated verb always stands in position 2. The first position can be the subject or another part, such as Heute sprechen wir Deutsch.
Where does the verb stand in a German question?
In W-questions it stands in position 2 after the question word (Wann lernst du Deutsch?). In yes-or-no questions it stands in position 1 (Schaust du gern FuĂball?).
What does TeKaMoLo mean?
It is a guideline for the order of time (temporal), reason (kausal), manner (modal) and place (lokal): Lisa geht am Dienstag zu FuĂ ins Kino.
Can I change the word order in a German sentence?
Yes. You can put another part in position 1 to emphasize it, as in Am Dienstag geht Lisa zu FuĂ ins Kino. The conjugated verb must stay in position 2.
Word order is the skeleton of every German sentence. In our A1 German online course you practise it with videos, worksheets and answers to your questions, chapter by chapter.
