B1 · Subordinate clauses
If: wenn and falls
wenn es regnet, falls es regnet
Two words for if, one of them also meaning when — and a third form that drops the word entirely.
Wenn is the ordinary word for "if", and it is also the word for "when" in a repeated or future sense. Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir hier can be read either way, and usually the context settles it without anybody noticing the ambiguity.
Where it matters, falls makes the condition explicit and means only "if, in case": Falls es regnet, nehmen wir den Bus. It is slightly more formal and it removes the time reading entirely, which is why it appears in instructions and contracts.
German can also drop the conjunction and start the clause with the verb: Regnet es, bleiben wir hier. This is the same construction English has in "had I known", and it is somewhat literary. The main clause that follows often begins with dann or so.
Die Form
| wenn + Verb am Ende | wenn es regnet |
| falls + Verb am Ende | falls es regnet |
| Verb zuerst | Regnet es, dann bleiben wir. |
| irreal | wenn es regnen würde |
| sonst | Beeil dich, sonst kommen wir zu spät. |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
wenn covers both if and a repeated when.
Wenn ich Zeit habe, komme ich.If I have time I will come.
falls means only if, and removes the time reading.
Falls du fragst: ja.In case you are wondering: yes.
A conditional clause can start with the verb instead.
Hast du Zeit, komm vorbei.If you have time, drop in.
The main clause after a conditional often begins with dann.
Wenn es klappt, dann feiern wir.If it works, we will celebrate.
Genauer hingesehen
The three degrees of a condition
German distinguishes three: real, unlikely and impossible. Real takes the present in both halves — Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir hier. Unlikely takes the subjunctive — Wenn es regnen würde, blieben wir hier. Impossible, because it is already over, takes the past subjunctive — Wenn es geregnet hätte, wären wir geblieben.
The three lines up with English exactly, which is rare enough to be worth saying: "if it rains", "if it rained", "if it had rained". What differs is the machinery, not the distinction — German uses würde and hätte where English uses a past tense and "would".
Ausnahmen und Sonderfälle (2)
-
sollte introduces the condition
it marks it as unlikely but possible.
Sollten Sie Fragen haben, melden Sie sich.Should you have questions, get in touch.
The subjunctive of sollen is a standard way to soften a condition, especially in writing.
-
the condition is negative
German often uses sonst in a following main clause.
Schreib es auf, sonst vergisst du es.Write it down or you will forget.
Sonst states the consequence of not doing the thing, which is shorter than a full wenn nicht clause.
Woran man es erkennt
- wenn
- falls
- sofern
- dann
- sonst
- außer wenn
Beispielsätze
Wenn du willst, gehen wir früher.If you want, we will go earlier.
Falls etwas passiert, ruf mich an.If anything happens, call me.
Wenn ich gewinne, lade ich alle ein.If I win, I will treat everybody.
Sollte er anrufen, sag ihm Bescheid.Should he call, let him know.
Nimm einen Schirm, sonst wirst du nass.Take an umbrella or you will get wet.
Noch 6 Beispielsätze
Wenn du müde bist, geh schlafen.If you are tired, go to bed.
Falls der Zug ausfällt, nehme ich den Bus.If the train is cancelled I will take the bus.
Wenn ich das gewusst hätte!If only I had known!
Bei Regen bleiben wir zu Hause.If it rains we will stay at home.
Wenn nötig, rufe ich an.If necessary I will call.
Er kommt nur, wenn du ihn einlädst.He will only come if you invite him.
Besonderheiten (2)
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A preposition can carry the condition
German often replaces a whole conditional clause with <z>bei</z> plus a noun: <z>bei Regen</z>, <z>bei Fragen</z>, <z>bei Problemen</z>. It is compact and extremely common on signs and in instructions — <z>Bei Feuer Aufzug nicht benutzen</z>.
-
wenn is not ob
English "if" also introduces an indirect question — "I do not know if he is coming" — and German uses <z>ob</z> there, never <z>wenn</z>: <z>Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt.</z> The test is whether "if" could be replaced by "whether"; if it could, the German is <z>ob</z>.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
German uses the present tense in a conditional clause about the future, exactly as English does in "if it rains" rather than "if it will rain". Adding werden is a double marking of the future and it also breaks the word order, because wird would have to stand last. Two mistakes from one instinct, and both disappear as soon as the present tense is used.
A condition about the future is written in the present.
Jetzt selbst
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