Nebensatz mit ob
ob-Sätze — for English Speakers
Introduction
German 'ob' means 'whether/if' and introduces indirect yes/no questions. The key difference from English: in the ob-clause, the conjugated verb moves to the very end. So 'I don't know if he is coming' becomes 'Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt' — 'kommt' sits at the end. This verb-final rule in subordinate clauses is one of the biggest hurdles for English speakers.
German vs English
In German
Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. (verb at end)
In English
I don't know if he is coming. (normal verb position)
Key Difference
German pushes the verb to the end in ob-clauses; English keeps normal word order.
In German
ob = whether / if (for yes/no questions only)
In English
whether / if
Key Difference
German 'ob' only means 'if' in questions, never conditional 'if' (that's 'wenn').
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
Ich weiß nicht, ob kommt er.
Keeping question word order (verb-subject) instead of subordinate clause order (subject...verb at end).
Ich frage, wenn er morgen kommt. (intended: if/whether)
Confusing 'wenn' (conditional if / when) with 'ob' (whether) — English 'if' covers both meanings.
Practice Examples
Weißt du, ob der Laden offen ist?
Do you know if the shop is open?
Sie fragt, ob wir morgen kommen.
She asks whether we're coming tomorrow.
Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.
I'm not sure if that's correct.
Memory Tip
After 'ob', the verb takes a vacation to the END of the clause — it's a subordinate clause rule.
View Grammar Rule
Nebensatz mit ob
ob-Sätze — A2
Practice Exercises
Nebensatz mit ob Übungen
7 exercises
Other Languages
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