FormHauptsatz, + weil + Subjekt … konjugiertes Verb (Ende)
Meaning and usage
weil means because. It joins a main clause to a subordinate clause, and the conjugated verb moves to the very end of the weil clause. A comma stands before weil. The order inside the weil clause is subject first, then any objects or adverbs, then the verb last: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.
Use weil to give a reason, and it often answers the question Warum?. A common mistake is to keep the verb in second position, as in weil ich bin krank, which is not correct German. The verb must go to the end: weil ich krank bin.
Examples 6
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.
I'm staying home because I'm ill.
Er ist nicht hier, weil er krank ist.
He isn't here because he's ill.
Ich ging nach Hause, weil es spät war.
I went home because it was late.
Papa ist in der Küche, weil er kocht.
Dad is in the kitchen because he's cooking.
Ich habe es gegessen, weil ich Hunger hatte.
I ate it because I was hungry.
Ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich krank bin.
I can't come because I'm sick.
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Ich gehe nicht zur Arbeit, weil ich müde .
Show answer
Correct answer: bin
The subject is ich, so the correct form of sein is bin. In a weil clause the verb goes to the end, so bin fills the gap.
- sein is the infinitive and cannot be the conjugated verb here.
- bist goes with du, not with ich.
- ist goes with er, sie or es, not with ich.
In this topic: Subordinate clauses
- weil … Verb because, with the verb at the end
- weil … Verb / denn + Hauptsatz denn keeps normal order, weil sends the verb to the end
- dass … Verb say, think or know something with dass, verb at the end
- wenn … Verb if or whenever, with the verb at the end
- obwohl … Verb although: a contrast clause with the verb at the end
- nicht …, sondern not X, but rather Y
- …, dass er kommen kann. two verb parts in a subordinate clause: finite verb last
- …, weil ich früh aufstehe. separable verb joins as one word at the end
- Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. Subordinate clause first, then verb, comma, verb
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.