Genau
Topic test · A2

Subordinate clauses test

22questions
13minutes
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

22 questions, easy to hard

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

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil es .

I’m staying home because it’s raining.

regnet. weil sends the conjugated verb to the very end: …, weil es regnet.

…, weil ich morgen . (arbeiten müssen)

…because I have to work tomorrow.

arbeiten muss. The conjugated verb goes last — here the modal muss. The infinitive lines up to its left.

Weil ich müde bin, nach Hause.

Because I’m tired, I’m going home.

gehe ich. The subordinate clause filled position one; because the verb of the main clause has to stay in second position, the subject moves behind it.

ich klein war, wohnte ich in Izmir.

When I was little, I lived in Izmir.

Als — one time in the past, or one period of it. wenn is for repeated events or future conditions, and wann is only for questions.

Which one does NOT send the verb to the END?

Which conjunction leaves the sentence alone?

denn. The group that leaves the verb where it is: und · aber · denn · oder · sondern. This is the side you fall back on when speech jams.

Ich weiß, dass er in Berlin .

I know (that) he lives in Berlin.

wohnt. dass behaves exactly like weil. Three conjunctions, one rule — nothing separate to memorise.

…, weil ich gestern . (schlafen · Perfekt)

…because I slept yesterday.

geschlafen habe. In the Perfekt the conjugated one is the auxiliary (habe), so it goes last. The Partizip drops in front of it — the exact reverse of main-clause order.

du Zeit hast, ruf mich an.

If you have time, call me.

Wenn — a future or repeated condition. Als is only for something that happened once in the past. English uses “when” for both, so the distinction blurs; in German it does not.

Er sagt, dass er kein Deutsch .

He says (that) he doesn’t speak German.

spricht. The verb goes last but stays conjugated: it is still conjugated for er. Going to the end does not mean turning into an infinitive.

Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Deutschland . (arbeiten)

I’m learning German because I work in Germany.

arbeite. There is only one verb, so it is the one that goes last. The conjugation still follows ich — the position changed, the person did not.

Obwohl es kalt , gehe ich spazieren. (sein)

Although it’s cold, I’m going for a walk.

ist. obwohl is another conjunction that sends the verb to the end. And because the subordinate clause comes first, the subject of the main clause moved behind the verb: gehe ich.

…, weil ich dich gestern . (anrufen · Perfekt)

…because I called you yesterday.

angerufen habe. Three rules stacked: the separable verb fuses in the Partizip, ge slips in the middle, and in the subordinate clause the conjugated habe goes last.

Ich frage, er morgen kommt.

I’m asking whether he’s coming tomorrow.

ob. The indirect form of a yes/no question — English “whether” or “if”. dass carries a fact, ob carries uncertainty.

Wenn ich Zeit habe, dich.

If I have time, I’ll visit you.

besuche ich. The subordinate clause filled position one → verb in second position → subject third. Same with wenn as with weil: the moment the subordinate clause leads, the main clause flips.

…, weil ich nicht . (kommen können · Vergangenheit)

…because I couldn’t come.

kommen konnte. Modals normally go into the past with the Präteritum (konnte), and in a subordinate clause that is the conjugated verb, so it goes last. The infinitive is again on its left.

Ich bleibe zu Hause, ich bin müde.

I’m staying home because I’m tired.

denn. After the gap the verb bin is in second place, not at the end — the only option that leaves the order alone is denn. With weil the verb would have to go last: …, weil ich müde bin.

Which sentence is correct?

I’m not coming because I’m sick.

Weil ich krank bin, komme ich nicht. Two rules in one sentence: in the subordinate clause the verb goes last (bin), in the main clause the verb is in second position (komme) and the subject falls behind. The most common mistake is the second option — the subordinate clause is built correctly and the main clause is left unflipped.

…, weil ich arbeiten muss — why is muss at the end?

…because I have to work.

The conjugated verb goes last. Whichever verb takes second position in a main clause is the one that goes last in a subordinate clause. The modal in a modal sentence, the auxiliary in the Perfekt, the verb itself in a one-verb sentence.

wenn or als — what decides?

when

A single event in the past → als. Als ich klein war… (one period, one time) ↔ Wenn ich Zeit habe… (every time). The third word, wann, is for questions only: Wann kommst du?

Ich hoffe, du bald kommst.

I hope (that) you’ll come soon.

dass. English often leaves it out entirely — “I hope you’ll come soon” has no conjunction. German fills that gap with dass and sends the verb to the end.

When you use “weil”, the verb of the subordinate clause always stays in second position.

False. weil is a subordinating conjunction (Nebensatz). That is why the conjugated verb is thrown to the very end of the clause.

Build the sentence: I’m sleeping because I’m tired.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

In a subordinate clause that starts with weil, the main verb (bin) goes to the very end of the sentence.
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. The conjunction sends the verb to the end

    weil · dass · wenn · als · obwohl · ob — after these conjunctions the conjugated verb goes to the very end of the clause. A comma comes in front.

    Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil es regnet.

  2. The verb that goes last is the conjugated one

    With two verbs, the one that goes last is the conjugated one: the modal in a modal sentence, the auxiliary in the Perfekt. The infinitive or Partizip lines up to its left.

    …, weil ich arbeiten muss. · …, weil ich geschlafen habe.

  3. If the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause flips

    The subordinate clause fills position one; since the verb of the main clause has to stay in second position, the subject moves behind it.

    Weil ich müde bin, gehe ich nach Hause.

Traps

Commonly mixed up

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

  • …, weil ich bin müde.

    …, weil ich müde bin.

    Built in English order, the verb gets stranded in the middle. weil forces it to the end.

  • …, weil ich muss arbeiten.

    …, weil ich arbeiten muss.

    What goes last is the conjugated verb — the modal. The infinitive stands in front of it.

  • Weil ich müde bin, ich gehe nach Hause.

    Weil ich müde bin, gehe ich nach Hause.

    The subordinate clause filled position one; the verb of the main clause cannot slide away from position two, so the subject moves behind it.

  • …, denn ich müde bin.

    …, denn ich bin müde.

    Overcorrection: the weil habit is sending the verb to the end. denn never disturbs the order.