FormSubjekt (Position 1) + konjugiertes Verb (Position 2) + Rest
Meaning and usage
In a simple German statement, the conjugated verb is the second element. The subject usually comes first, so the order looks like English: Ich gehe gerne zu Fuß zur Schule. The verb is the second building block, not necessarily the second word.
Use this order for plain statements about what someone does, has or is. The common mistake is to put the verb first, as in a question, or to forget the second position when the subject is long. Keep the conjugated verb in position 2.
Examples 5
Sie hat einen Sohn und zwei Töchter.
She has a son and two daughters.
Ich gehe gerne zu Fuß zur Schule.
I like walking to school.
Ich hole dich um halb drei ab.
I'll pick you up at 2:30.
Ich kann in zehn Minuten dort sein.
I can be there in ten minutes.
Ich danke dir sehr für deine Hilfe.
I thank you very much for your help.
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Meine Schwester in Berlin.
Show answer
Correct answer: wohnt
The subject Meine Schwester is third person singular, so the verb is wohnt. It stands in position 2, right after the subject.
- wohne is the form for ich, but the subject here is meine Schwester.
- wohnst is the form for du, but the subject here is meine Schwester.
- wohnen is the form for plural subjects like wir or sie (they), not for meine Schwester.
In this topic: Word order
- Verb an Position 2 The conjugated verb comes second in a statement
- Heute lerne ich … Time first, then verb, then subject
- Ich will morgen … fahren. Two verb parts, one second, one last
- und, aber, oder, denn und, aber, oder, denn: verb stays in position 2
- morgen nach Berlin time before place in the middle of a sentence
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.