Genau
Topic test · B1

Time conjunctions test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
Start the test Read the topic first

One question at a time, the clock runs. Answers stay closed like a real exam: you see every correct answer with its explanation at the end. Score 60% to finish the topic.

Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

Pick an option and press «Next». You can go back and change it. Anything left blank counts as wrong.

ich ein Kind war, wohnten wir in Izmir.

When I was a child, we lived in Izmir.

Als. One period in the past — not repeated. For “when I was a child” German always uses als.

ich Zeit habe, rufe ich dich an.

When I have time, I’ll call you.

Wenn. Not the past — a present or future condition. als is only for a one-off event in the past.

Ich weiß nicht, er kommt.

I don’t know when he’s coming.

wann. The sentence looks like a statement, but there is still a question inside it (“when is he coming?”). Indirect questions keep wann.

ich gegessen hatte, ging ich los.

After I had eaten, I set off.

Nachdem. Plusquamperfekt in the subordinate clause (hatte gegessen), Präteritum in the main clause — only nachdem asks for that tense shift.

Immer ich sie sah, lachte sie.

Whenever I saw her, she laughed.

wenn. The event is in the past but it repeats. For repeated events in the past you use wenn, not als — and immer already signals it.

Which one is correct?

The first one. The verb goes last in the subordinate clause (gehe), and because that clause comes first, the main clause starts straight with its verb (räume). The whole subordinate clause fills the first slot.

ich esse, sehe ich fern.

I watch TV while I eat.

If two things go on at the same time, use während. nachdem is for what comes after, bevor for what comes before.

Nachdem er gegessen , ging er ins Bett.

essen = to eat

nachdem separates the two tenses by one step: with a Präteritum main clause the subordinate clause becomes Plusquamperfekt — hatte gegessen.

Ich warte hier, du zurückkommst.

I’m waiting here until you come back.

Waiting that lasts up to a moment is built with bis. seit marks a starting point, als a one-off moment in the past.

Which one is correct?

When the subordinate clause comes first, the whole clause fills position one; in the main clause the verb comes right after it: …, spielte ich….

For events that happened only once in the past, the conjunction wenn is used.

For events that happened once in the past (for example “as a child”) you always use als.

When I came home, we ate. (one time in the past) ich nach Hause kam, haben wir gegessen.

It is a one-off event in the past, so als is used.

Build the sentence: When you come, we go.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

wenn is used for events in the future or events that always happen.
Quick rules

The rules in three lines

The full topic lives on its own page. This is only the core you need for the test.

  1. als for one time, wenn for every time

    A one-off event in the past takes als. A repeated or future event takes wenn. wann is only for questions.

    Als ich ein Kind war, … · Immer wenn ich sie sah, …

  2. Order: bevor · während · nachdem

    bevor is before, während is at the same time, nachdem is after. All three are subordinating conjunctions; the verb goes last.

    Bevor ich gehe, räume ich auf.

  3. nachdem separates the tenses by one step

    In a nachdem sentence the subordinate clause is one step earlier than the main clause: main clause in the Präteritum, subordinate in the Plusquamperfekt; main clause in the Präsens, subordinate in the Perfekt.

    Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er ins Bett.

  4. Subordinate clause first: the verb comes right after it

    When the subordinate clause comes first, it fills position one; the verb of the main clause follows right after the comma and the subject moves behind it.

    Als ich klein war, spielte ich viel.

Traps

Commonly mixed up

Where a direct translation breaks. The hard questions come from here.

  • Wenn ich ein Kind war, …

    Als ich ein Kind war, …

    Childhood is a period that happened once in the past; that takes als. wenn means it repeats.

  • Ich weiß nicht, wenn er kommt.

    Ich weiß nicht, wann er kommt.

    An indirect question keeps its question word: wann. wenn is the conditional conjunction.

  • Nachdem er gegessen hat, ging er ins Bett.

    Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er ins Bett.

    The main clause is in the Präteritum, so the subordinate clause steps back one tense, to the Plusquamperfekt.

  • Bevor ich gehe, ich räume auf.

    Bevor ich gehe, räume ich auf.

    The subordinate clause in front fills position one; in the main clause the verb takes second position, in front of the subject.