German connectors trigger one of three different word-order patterns. Which one depends on the connector, not on meaning.

1. Subordinating connectors send the verb to the end

This is the biggest group: weil, da, dass, wenn, ob, obwohl, obgleich, obschon, während, bevor, nachdem, sobald, solange, bis, seit, seitdem, falls, sofern, damit, sodass, indem, als, außer wenn, ohne dass, and anstatt dass all push the conjugated verb to the very end of their clause.

The most common mistake is leaving the verb where it would go in a main clause (weil ich bin müde ✗).

When there are two verb parts (a modal + infinitive, or a perfect tense), both move to the end together, with the conjugated part last:

• Modal + infinitive: ..., weil ich das lesen kann. (not kann lesen, and not lesen kann split apart)
• Perfect tense: ..., dass er das Buch gelesen hat. (participle, then the conjugated hat/ist)

Separable verbs don't separate in a subordinate clause — the prefix stays attached: ..., dass er heute anruft. (not ruft ... an).

2. Coordinating connectors don't change word order at all

Und, oder, aber, denn, and sondern (the classic "ADUSO" set) simply join two independent, normal clauses — the verb stays in its usual position 2 on both sides:

3. Correlative (two-part) connectors each have their own rule

• entweder ... oder: entweder may invert its own clause (Entweder gehen wir...), but oder is a plain ADUSO coordinator, so its clause keeps normal order.
• weder ... noch: noch is not part of ADUSO — when it starts the second clause, it triggers inversion (verb before subject), unlike oder/und/aber.
• sowohl ... als auch and nicht nur ... sondern auch usually join words or phrases, not full clauses — the fixed part (sowohl / nicht nur) always comes right before the first item, and its partner (als auch / sondern auch) right before the second.
• je ... desto/umso: the je-clause is verb-final like any subordinate clause, but the desto/umso-clause inverts — comparative, then verb, then subject.