Grammar notes
These four words all introduce a subordinate clause, but each one means something different — picking the right one is about meaning, not grammar rules.
| Word | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| weil | A reason ("because") | Ich bin müde, weil ich wenig geschlafen habe. |
| dass | Reporting a fact or statement ("that") | Er sagt, dass er Hunger hat. |
| wenn | A condition or a repeated event ("if" / "whenever") | Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause. |
| ob | An embedded yes/no question ("whether" / "if") | Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. |
English "if" is the tricky one, because it can map to two different German words. Try replacing it with "whether" — if the sentence still makes sense, it's a question, so use ob (I don't know if/whether he's coming). If "whether" sounds wrong and it's really describing a condition (in that case...), use wenn (If it rains, I stay home — not "I don't know whether it rains").
All four also share one grammar rule: they push the conjugated verb to the very end of their clause (..., weil ich bin., not ..., weil bin ich.). That word order is drilled separately — this lesson is only about choosing the right word.
Ich hoffe, das Wetter morgen besser wird.