CONTENT
- Describe a Consequence with "darum," "deshalb," "daher," and "deswegen"
- Express Concession with "trotzdem" and "allerdings"
- Indicate a Necessary Action for a Purpose with "dafür" and "dazu"
- Indicate a Consequence with "dann"
- Express a Logical Conclusion with "also" and "folglich"
- Indicate the Manner with “so”
- Express a Consequence with "sodass"
- Express Manner with "indem," "dadurch, dass,","anstatt...zu," "ohne...zu"
Describe a Consequence with "darum," "deshalb," "daher," and "deswegen"
The conjunctive adverbs darum, deshalb, daher, and deswegen introduce the effect of a cause. All four adverbs have the same meaning.
They combine an independent clause describing a reason with an independent clause describing a consequence. The clauses must be separated by a comma or period.
German
English
Ich mag Eis, deshalb esse ich jeden Tag zwei Eis.
I like ice cream, therefore I eat two ice cream every day.
Note: The adverb takes the first position in the sentence, while the finite verb comes next, and then the subject.
Express Concession with "trotzdem" and "allerdings"
The conjunctive adverbs trotzdem and allerdings indicate a restriction or a counter reason to a statement previously made. Trotzdem usually indicates a stronger opposition.
They combine a sentence that introduces the topic with a subsequent sentence that describes an unexpected opposition. The two sentences must be separated by a comma or period.
German
English
Ich bin Deutsche, trotzdem möchte ich das Buch auf Englisch lesen.
I am German. However, I would like to read the book in English.
Note: The adverb takes the first position in the sentence, the finite verb comes next, then the subject.
Indicate a Necessary Action for a Purpose with "dafür" and "dazu"
The conjunctive adverbs dafür and dazu indicate what we need to do in order to reach a goal. They combine a sentence that introduces the goal with a sentence that describes the required action to achieve it.
The two sentences must be separated by a comma or period.
German
English
Wir müssen heute nach Spanien fliegen. Dafür/Dazu müssen wir ein Flugzeug nehmen.
We need to fly to Spain today. For that, we have to take a plane.
Indicate a Consequence with "dann"
The conjunctive adverb dann indicates a consequence to an action. It combines a sentence that introduces the condition (usually with "wenn") with a sentence that describes the consequence.
The two sentences must be separated by a comma or period.
Note: The adverb takes the first position in the sentence, the finite verb comes next, and then the subject.
German
English
Wenn du das tust, dann sind wir keine Freunde mehr.
If you do that, then we're not friends anymore.
Express a Logical Conclusion with "also" and "folglich"
The conjunctive adverbs also and folglich indicate a logical conclusion. Folglich is more formal than also.
German
English
Du hast kein Geld, also/folglich kannst du keinen Porsche kaufen.
You have no money, therefore you cannot buy a Porsche.
Note: The adverb takes the first position in the sentence, the finite verb comes next, and then the subject. The two sentences must be separated by a comma or period.
Indicate the Manner with “so”
The conjunctive adverb so describes an outcome more precisely.
German
English
Du solltest jeden Tag Deutsch lesen. So kannst die Prüfung einfacher bestehen.
You should speak German every day. This way, you can pass the German exam easier.
Express a Consequence with "sodass"
By using sodass, we express the consequence of an action. The cause is mentioned in the main clause, and the effect is stated in the subordinate clause, introduced with sodass.
German
English
Ich lerne Deutsch, sodass ich in Deutschland einfacher Arbeit finde.
I learn German, so that I can find work in Germany easier.
The part "so" can also be placed before an adjective of the main clause (only if there is an adjective related to the result):
German
English
Es war so kalt, dass ich zuhause geblieben bin.
It was so cold that I stayed home.
Express Manner with "indem," "dadurch, dass,","anstatt...zu," "ohne...zu"
Modal clauses are subordinate clauses that answer the question "how?". To explain exactly how the goal was reached, we can use:
Rule (1): the subordinate conjunction "indem."
German
English
Ich lerne schnell Deutsch, indem ich viel übe.
I learn German quickly by practicing a lot.
Rule (2): the subordinate conjunction "dadurch, dass."
German
English
Dadurch, dass du viel übst, kannst du schnell Deutsch lernen.
By practicing a lot, you can learn German quickly.
Rule (3): the subordinate conjunction "ohne...zu" indicates a limitation or negation.
German
English
Ich habe eine Arbeit gefunden, ohne Deutsch zu lernen.
I found a job without learning German.
Rule (4): the subordinate conjunction "anstatt...zu" describes an alternative to the action of the main clause.
German
English
Ich habe Italienisch gelernt, anstatt Deutsch zu lernen.
Instead of learning German, I learned Italian.
Note: "dadurch" can also be used in the main clause to emphasize the topic. Then, it is placed in front of the 'goal to be achieved':
German
English
Du kannst dadurch schnell Deutsch lernen, dass du viel übst.
You can learn German quickly by practicing a lot.
Quiz
1/3
Choose the proper adverbial conjunction: Ich lerne jeden Tag Deutsch, ___ ich es bald sprechen kann.
0
correct answers.