Overview
Which time relation do you mean?
Temporal clauses answer Wann?, Wie lange? or Seit wann?. Choose the connector according to the relationship between the actions.
The main choices
Useful temporal connectors
- wenn / als: when — repeated or one-time events
- während: while — two actions happen at the same time
- bevor: before — one action happens earlier
- nachdem: after — one action is already complete
- seitdem: since — a situation began in the past and continues
- sobald: as soon as — the next action follows immediately
- solange: as long as — two situations last for the same period
- bis: until — an action continues up to an endpoint
Examples
Während ich koche, hört Paul Musik.
Nachdem ich gefrühstückt habe, gehe ich zur Arbeit.
Sentence pattern
The conjugated verb goes to the end
All connectors above introduce subordinate clauses. If the subordinate clause comes first, the main-clause verb follows directly after the comma.
- Ich frühstücke, bevor ich zur Arbeit gehe.
- Bevor ich zur Arbeit gehe, frühstücke ich.
Quick check