German Subordinate Clauses with weil and dass: The Verb Goes to the End
After the subordinating conjunctions weil (because) and dass (that), the conjugated verb moves to the very end of the clause, and a comma separates the two clauses.
In German, the conjunctions weil (because) and dass (that) start a subordinate clause. Unlike English, they push the conjugated verb to the very end.
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich müde bin. I stay home because I am tired.
Always put a comma before weil / dass. Compare the word order:
| Type | Conjunction | Word order |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause | und, aber, oder, denn | verb second (V2) |
| Subordinate | weil, dass | verb last |
The trap for English speakers is denn, which also means because but is a coordinating conjunction, so the verb stays in second position:
Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde.
Same meaning, different structure. With dass:
Ich glaube, dass das Kind schläft. I think that the child is sleeping.
Tip: whenever you see weil or dass, mentally slide the verb to the end of that clause.
Examples
Der Mann kauft ein Auto, weil sein altes Auto kaputt ist.
The man buys a car because his old car is broken.
Die Mutter sagt, dass das Kind noch schläft.
The mother says that the child is still sleeping.
Ich trinke Wasser, weil das Wetter heute sehr warm ist.
I drink water because the weather is very warm today.
Wir glauben, dass der Zug pünktlich kommt.
We think that the train arrives on time.
Common mistakes
After weil the verb (bin) must go to the very end; only 'weil ich müde bin' is correct. Keeping V2 ('weil ich bin müde') is the most common learner error.
denn is a coordinating conjunction, so the verb stays in second position (ich bin müde) — do NOT send it to the end like weil.
A comma is required before dass (and before weil). German always separates the subordinate clause with a comma.
Related topics
Practice
Ich bleibe heute zu Hause, weil ich sehr ___.
Die Mutter sagt, dass das Kind schon ___.
Der Mann kauft ein neues Auto, weil sein altes Auto ___.