– When is your birthday? By the help of the German word “wenn” we can express a condition in a sentence. (I do not know when the meeting is. (Whenever I come home, I make myself a tea.) Actually, in German, we use the word “wann” as a question word when we would like to ask when something happens. Wenn carries the meaning of “when” in the sense of “whenever” or “if” when describing either the past or the present. The meaning of “als” in German as a conjunction is very similar to the English “when”. In contrast to “als” we can use “wenn” in all German times. The main difference is that we can only use it in the past tense (Präteritum, Perfekt, and Plusquamperfekt) but NOT in the present or any of the two German future tenses. Therefore, it might not surprise you to hear that we usually use “wenn” when we want to express a condition. ), Wenn ich nach Berlin fahren werde, will ich das Brandenburger Tor ansehen. If you use the website further, we assume your consent. To be precise, we use it in “Komperativ” which – as you might already be able to guess – is when we compare two things with each other: Ich bin größer als sie. – If so, use “als”. If you have any suggestions for topics that you would like me to cover, feel warmly invited to comment or drop me a message. . The reason why many students get confused with these three words is most likely, that in English and many other languages they are used differently and sometimes even represent a synonym. Als means as, when or then, depending on its context. This website uses cookies. In German grammar, this typically means that something happens with the position of the verb in the sentence. Dieses Auto ist billiger als das blaue. When you are finished with the dinner, you can tidy up. After reading this article, you will be a pro and know when you should use each of them. When you were little, you always used to help me. We use it to ask about time (in indirect questions as well.). When (ever) I am sick, I stay at home. When Peter’s mother was sick, Peter cooked for her. Most likely, it is the easiest way to remember it by keeping in mind the sentence beginning “Als ich ein Kind war …” (When I was a child…). In the case of “als”, we need to move the verb to the end of the sentence. Does your sentence express a condition? – I am taller than her. Peter’s mother was sick more than once and Peter cooked for every time. When Peter’s mother was sick, Peter (always) cooked for her. (When I go to Berlin, I want to see the Brandenburg Gate.). With its help, it is possible to express sentences like: I start a job as … – Ich beginne eine Stelle als …. The reason why people confuse “wenn” and “als” is that both of them can have the meaning of “when” in English. As I already explained, in German, only “wenn” can do so. – Question: When is your birthday?). So whenever you talk in the past tense about a specific moment, you can use “als”. – This car is cheaper than the blue one. [or:] If I … a lasting state in the past that doesn’t repeat itself. Und wenn du etwas im Haushalt erledigen musst, hast du plötzlich viel zu tun!“, Peter: „OK, wann soll ich mit dem Kochen anfangen?“, Wann is a question word. Though I provide all blog content for free, your support will be very much appreciated. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Also, “wenn” is a conjunction, and therefore it connects to sentences with each other. Don’t despair! In this week’s Wort der Woche post on the word als, I touched upon the distinction between the words als, wenn, wann.. I’d like to explore the issue further and give a simple Q & A procedure for learners to follow to figure out which word to choose. Hi there! Does your sentence contain a question? Besides, “wenn” functions as the equivalent for the English “if”. To use them correclty, we have to observe when and how often the act in the dependent clause happens. You were young for a long time, but you were only young once. Below, we show you when to use which word. Another possibility to meet the word “als” is in a German comparison. events that repeat themselves in the past (often with. In the case of “wenn” the verb also goes to the end, the same way, as we have discussed it for “als” in the previous paragraph. Als and wenn We use als and wenn in dependent clauses. Peters Mutter krank war, kochte Peter (immer) für sie. Consequently the main clause and the subordinary clause need to have a relation in the sense of “If A then B”. English "when" can be expressed in German by three different words: als , wann, and wenn. When to use “als”, “wenn” and “wann” in German, When to use "vermissen" and "verpassen" - Study German Online. It is also possible to use “wann” as a conjugation. We also use the German word “als” as a conjunction. ), Ich habe vergessen, wann dein Geburtstag ist. When English speakers want to say “when” in German, it’s hard to know which word to choose. For instance: Ich weiß nicht, wann das Treffen ist. In contrast to “als” we can use “wenn” in all German times. Und wenn du das gemacht hast, räum bitte dein Zimmer auf.“, Peter: „Hmm, ich weiß noch nicht, wann ich mit meinen vielen Hausaufgaben fertig werde.“, Mutter: „Als ich dich vorhin gefragt habe, hast du gesagt, dass du keine Hausaufgaben aufhast. While working as an online German teacher, it caught my attention that many students get confused when it comes to the usage of “als”, “wenn” and “wann”. Wann hast du Geburtstag? For instance: Wann gehen wir ins Theater? Immer wenn ich nach Hause komme, mache ich mir einen Tee. Also, in some other language, “wann” is used as a synonym in a sentence that expresses conditions. Examples for “wenn”: Immer wenn ich nach Hause komme, mache ich mir einen Tee. (Whenever I come home, I make myself a tea. We use als and wenn in dependent clauses. This means its job is to connect two sentences. One way to remember it: als refers to "when" in the past, whereas wenn (more on that below) refers to "when" in the future or hypothetically. When you consider using “wann” to connect to sentences, you should always ask yourself if the sentence which you introduce with “wann” can be easily transformed into a question.
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