Nebensatz mit weil
weil-Sätze — for English Speakers
Introduction
German 'weil' means 'because', but unlike English, it changes the word order — the conjugated verb moves to the end of the weil-clause. 'I stay home because I am sick' becomes 'Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin' — 'bin' goes to the end. This verb-final pattern applies to all German subordinate clauses, and weil is usually the first one learners encounter.
German vs English
In German
...weil ich krank bin. (verb at end)
In English
...because I am sick. (normal word order)
Key Difference
German sends the verb to the end after 'weil'; English keeps standard word order after 'because'.
In German
Comma before weil is mandatory
In English
Comma before 'because' is optional in English
Key Difference
German always requires a comma before subordinate conjunctions like weil.
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
...weil ich bin krank.
Keeping English word order after 'weil' — the verb must move to the end.
Ich bleibe zu Hause weil ich krank bin.
Forgetting the comma — German subordinate clauses always need a comma separator.
Practice Examples
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Berlin arbeite.
I'm learning German because I work in Berlin.
Er bleibt zu Hause, weil er müde ist.
He stays at home because he is tired.
Sie ist glücklich, weil sie Urlaub hat.
She is happy because she has vacation.
Memory Tip
WEIL kicks the verb to the END — think of it as the verb waiting at the exit door of the clause.
View Grammar Rule
Nebensatz mit weil
weil-Sätze — A2
Practice Exercises
Nebensatz mit weil Übungen
8 exercises
Other Languages
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