Temporal subordinate clauses (Temporalsätze) lock events into a clear timeline: did something happen once in the past, repeatedly, at the same time, right before, or earlier than another action? Because English covers several of these relationships with when or since, learning the exact German conjunctions prevents ambiguity right away.
Word Order in Temporal Clauses
All temporal conjunctions covered here are subordinating conjunctions, which send the conjugated verb to the end of the clause. When the temporal clause opens the sentence, it fills Position 1, so the main clause must begin immediately with its conjugated verb:
- Ich rufe dich an, sobald ich ankomme. — I’ll call you as soon as I arrive.
- Sobald ich ankomme, rufe ich dich an. — As soon as I arrive, I’ll call you.
als vs. wenn vs. wann at a Glance
One of the highest-value distinctions in B1 German is knowing how to translate English “when”:
| Time Reference | Single Event | Repeated Event (“whenever”) |
|---|---|---|
| Past | als | wenn (jedes Mal, wenn) |
| Present / Future | wenn | wenn |
Wann is not in that table because wann is strictly an interrogative word for direct questions (Wann kommt der Zug?) and indirect questions (Ich weiß nicht, wann er kommt). Never use wann for “When I arrived yesterday…”.
The 9 Key Temporal Conjunctions
1. als (when — single past event or period)
Use als exclusively for a one-time event or a single broad period in the past (such as childhood or a trip):
- Als ich ein Kind (das Kind) war, spielte ich im Garten (der Garten). — When I was a child, I played in the garden.
- Als ich gestern ankam, regnete es. — When I arrived yesterday, it was raining.
2. wenn (when / whenever — present, future, or repeated past)
Use wenn for all present and future situations, as well as events that happened repeatedly in the past (often paired with immer or jedes Mal):
- Jedes Mal, wenn er kam, brachte er Blumen (die Blume, pl.). — Every time he came, he brought flowers.
- Wenn du kommst, ruf mich an. — When you come, call me.
- Wenn ich müde bin, trinke ich Kaffee (der Kaffee). — Whenever I am tired, I drink coffee.
3. bevor / ehe (before)
Both bevor and the slightly more formal ehe introduce an event that happens after the main action. Because bevor names the later event, no tense shift is needed:
- Bevor du gehst, mach bitte das Licht (das Licht) aus. — Before you leave, please turn off the light.
- Bevor wir losfuhren, tankten wir. — Before we drove off, we filled up the tank.
4. nachdem (after — requires a mandatory tense shift!)
Because nachdem marks the earlier action, German enforces a strict step back in tense. The nachdem-clause must stand one tense further in the past than the main clause (review Past Perfect (Das Plusquamperfekt) if you need a refresher on hatte/war + Partizip II):
nachdem-Clause (Earlier Action) |
Main Clause (Later Action) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Perfekt | Präsens (or Futur I) | Nachdem er gegessen hat, geht er spazieren. |
| Plusquamperfekt | Präteritum / Perfekt | Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er spazieren. |
- Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er spazieren. — After he had eaten, he went for a walk.
- Nachdem wir am Bahnhof (der Bahnhof) angekommen waren, nahmen wir ein Taxi (das Taxi). — After we had arrived at the station, we took a taxi.
Remember the auxiliary rule: essen takes haben → gegessen hatte; ankommen takes sein → angekommen waren.
5. während (while / whereas)
Use während for two simultaneous actions—or to draw a sharp contrast between two people or facts:
- Während ich kochte, las er die Zeitung (die Zeitung). — While I was cooking, he read the newspaper.
- Während mein Bruder (der Bruder) gern früh aufsteht, schläft meine Schwester (die Schwester) lieber lange. — Whereas my brother likes getting up early, my sister prefers sleeping in.
6. bis (until)
Use bis to mark the end point of an ongoing action:
- Warte, bis ich komme. — Wait until I come.
- Er arbeitete weiter, bis das Projekt (das Projekt) fertig war. — He kept working until the project was finished.
7. seit / seitdem (since / ever since)
When a situation began in the past and is still continuing now, German uses the present tense (Präsens)—unlike English, which uses “have been living”:
- Seit(dem) er in Berlin wohnt, ist er viel glücklicher. — Since he has been living in Berlin, he is much happier.
- Seit ich diesen Kurs (der Kurs) besuche, verstehe ich die Grammatik (die Grammatik) besser. — Since I’ve been attending this course, I understand the grammar better.
Use seit/seitdem strictly for time—for “since” meaning “because”, use da or weil.
8. sobald (as soon as)
Use sobald when the second action triggers immediately after the first finishes:
- Sobald ich ankomme, rufe ich dich an. — As soon as I arrive, I’ll call you.
9. solange (as long as)
Use solange when two conditions last over the exact same time span:
- Solange du hier bist, bist du sicher. — As long as you are here, you are safe.
Common Mistakes (Wrong vs. Right)
| What Learners Write (Wrong) | Correct German (Right) | Why the Correction Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wann ich gestern ankam, regnete es. | Als ich gestern ankam, regnete es. | Wann is only for questions; a single past event uses als. |
| Wenn ich gestern ankam, regnete es. | Als ich gestern ankam, regnete es. | Wenn is for repeated past, present, or future events—not one-off past events. |
| Nachdem er gegessen hat, ging er spazieren. | Nachdem er gegessen hatte, ging er spazieren. | A past main clause (ging) forces nachdem back into Plusquamperfekt (hatte gegessen). |
| Seit ich in Berlin gewohnt habe, bin ich glücklicher. | Seit ich in Berlin wohne, bin ich glücklicher. | Ongoing states starting in the past take Präsens in German, not Perfekt. |
| Sobald ich ankomme, ich rufe dich an. | Sobald ich ankomme, rufe ich dich an. | The fronted clause fills Position 1, so the main clause starts with the verb. |
Once you match the conjunction to the time relationship—single past, repeated, simultaneous, ongoing, or shifted earlier—German timelines stay unmistakable.