Basic Word Order

In simple German statements, the basic word order follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), similar to English. The subject comes first, followed by the conjugated verb, then other elements like objects or additional information. However, German word order is more flexible than English because the verb always takes the second position, not necessarily after the subject. This is called the "V2 rule" and is fundamental to German sentence structure.

The most important rule in German is that the conjugated verb must be in the second position in main clauses. This doesn't mean the second word, but the second "element" or "phrase" of the sentence. When another element (like a time expression or object) starts the sentence, the subject moves after the verb to keep the verb in second position. This inversion is automatic and essential for correct German.

In German yes/no questions (questions that can be answered with ja or nein), the verb comes first. The subject follows immediately after the verb. There is no auxiliary verb like English "do" - you simply move the main verb to the front. This creates a V1 (verb-first) structure. The intonation rises at the end of the question, similar to English.

Questions with question words (wer, was, wo, wann, warum, wie - who, what, where, when, why, how) follow the V2 rule. The question word is in first position, followed by the verb in second position, then the subject. These question words are called "W-Wörter" because most of them start with W in German. They always trigger the V2 structure.

When a sentence contains multiple adverbs or phrases, German follows a general Time-Manner-Place order. This means time expressions come before manner (how something is done), which comes before place expressions. This is the opposite of English, which typically uses Place-Manner-Time. Remembering this difference helps you sound more natural in German.