B2 · The finishing touches
Joining two thoughts
deshalb, trotzdem, allerdings, dennoch
Adverbs that connect sentences and take the first position, so the verb moves in front of the subject.
German has three different kinds of word for joining ideas, and they behave differently in the sentence. Coordinating conjunctions (und, aber, oder, denn, sondern) change nothing. Subordinating conjunctions (weil, obwohl, wenn) send the verb to the end. And connecting adverbs (deshalb, trotzdem, allerdings, dennoch, außerdem) count as the first element of the sentence, so the verb follows them and the subject comes after the verb.
This is the third group, and it is the one that catches out people who already know the first two. Trotzdem and obwohl both mean roughly "although", so they feel interchangeable — and they produce opposite word orders.
The payoff is worth the trouble. These are the words that turn a list of correct short sentences into writing that reads as connected, which is exactly what the B2 and C1 levels are asking for.
Die Form
| therefore, so | deshalb, darum, deswegen |
| nevertheless, even so | trotzdem, dennoch |
| admittedly, though | allerdings |
| besides, and what is more | außerdem |
| otherwise, or else | sonst |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
A connecting adverb in first position pushes the subject behind the verb.
Es regnete. Deshalb blieben wir zu Hause.It was raining. So we stayed at home.
The same adverb can also stand later in the sentence, and then nothing moves.
Wir blieben deshalb zu Hause.We stayed at home because of that.
trotzdem is an adverb, obwohl is a conjunction: same meaning, opposite word order.
Es regnete. Trotzdem gingen wir spazieren.It was raining. Even so we went for a walk.
sonst states the consequence of not doing something.
Beeil dich, sonst verpassen wir den Zug.Hurry up, or we will miss the train.
Genauer hingesehen
How to tell the three groups apart
There is a test that never fails. Put the word at the front of a sentence and see what the verb does. If the verb stays in second place counting the word as first, it is a connecting adverb. If the verb goes to the end, it is a subordinating conjunction. And if the word does not count as a position at all — the subject follows it and the verb stays put — it is one of the five coordinating conjunctions.
The five coordinating ones are worth simply learning by heart, because they are the only members of their group: und, aber, oder, denn, sondern. Everything else joining two clauses is one of the other two kinds.
Ausnahmen und Sonderfälle (1)
-
allerdings opens a sentence
it is heard as a mild objection to what was just said, not as new information.
Allerdings ist das teuer.That said, it is expensive.
The position carries the tone: at the front it announces a qualification, in the middle field it merely adds one.
Woran man es erkennt
- deshalb
- darum
- deswegen
- trotzdem
- dennoch
- allerdings
- außerdem
- sonst
- zudem
Beispielsätze
Der Laden war zu. Deshalb kam ich zurück.The shop was closed, so I came back.
Sie war müde. Trotzdem arbeitete sie weiter.She was tired. She kept working even so.
Das Zimmer ist klein. Allerdings ist es hell.The room is small. It is bright, though.
Es ist teuer. Außerdem dauert es lange.It is expensive. And it takes a long time.
Nimm einen Schirm mit, sonst wirst du nass.Take an umbrella, or you will get wet.
Noch 6 Beispielsätze
Ich habe keine Zeit. Darum sage ich ab.I have no time, so I am cancelling.
Er hat es versprochen. Dennoch kam er nicht.He promised. He still did not come.
Das Essen war gut. Außerdem war es günstig.The food was good, and cheap as well.
Sie ist neu hier. Deswegen fragt sie so viel.She is new here, which is why she asks so much.
Schreib es auf, sonst vergisst du es.Write it down or you will forget it.
Die Idee ist gut. Allerdings fehlt das Geld.The idea is good. The money is missing, though.
Besonderheiten (2)
-
denn is not weil
Both are translated "because" and both are correct, but <z>denn</z> is one of the five coordinating conjunctions and leaves the word order untouched, while <z>weil</z> sends the verb to the end. <z>Ich bleibe hier, denn es regnet</z> and <z>Ich bleibe hier, weil es regnet</z> mean the same thing with two different structures.
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Spoken German bends the rule
In casual speech you will hear <z>weil</z> with main-clause word order: <z>Ich bleibe hier, weil es regnet gerade so stark</z>. It is extremely common and it is not accepted in writing, so it is worth recognising and not worth copying.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
This is the single most common mistake with these words, and it comes from obwohl. Because obwohl is a conjunction it can be followed directly by the subject — obwohl wir spazieren gingen — and trotzdem looks like it should behave the same way. It does not: it occupies the first position itself, so the verb has to come second and the subject third.
Trotzdem is a position, not a conjunction: verb second, subject third.
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