German Word Order & Sentence Structure | German with Laura

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(👆 UPDATED VERSION of 'English Grammar for German Learners')
This mini-course shows you how to dissect and understand German sentence structure even when it gets fancy with -for English speakers- jumbled word order.
This German grammar video will teach you to understand the STANDARD, default word order pattern used in the German language plus the commonly used TRANSPOSED word order pattern (doesn’t always align well with English and so it's confusing).
Discover the principles of German word order that fuel ALL the patterns the German language ever uses:
A) the subject noun (nominative case) must be next to the conjugated verb
B) the conjugated verb must come as the 2ND element of the sentence
Both the STANDARD and TRANSPOSED word order patterns follow these 2 principles of German word order.^^ However, the transposed word order pattern has an added twist:
Rather than using inflection to emphasize a particular element in a given sentence, the German language transposes that element to the front of the sentence, which then forces the subject noun [nominative case] to the other side of the conjugated verb (which stays in the 2nd position, but which is not necessarily the 2nd word in the sentence!).
Once you understand the 2 principles that fuel these 2 German word order patterns, you will also be able to quickly grasp the remaining 2 word order patterns (video coming soon!). You’ll be well on your way to creating your own German sentences and doing it RIGHT!
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[@kellycleman2591]

This video was one of the best introductions to German sentence structure I've encountered. Most instruction how-toos get too deep too fast. This was just right. Looking forward to the next one in the series. Thanks, Laura!

[@DanielBrownsan]

After... four months of studying German, the "word order for emphasis" was an ah-ha moment lacking in every other video I've watched so far. I'm going to watch this video 30 more times just to make sure I've (finally) locked these concepts in. DANKE!

[@GermanwithLaura]

So great! Happy learning!

[@-Leonelli-]

And I finally come across the typical underrated Chanel with tons of quality information...

[@wrapvideo21]

tommorow is my german paper and i have seen all your videos now i belive i am gone pass it out , love you from india

[@tess7798]

I’ve been studying German on and off for years. Laura’s videos are making German grammar finally make sense!

[@akhilmuddam9888]

I haven't learnt any German at all for the 2 years at my school. Now I finally understand the basics! Danke!

[@31jameshamilton]

A great communicator and the best German for English native speakers I've ever discovered and I am thinking of subscribing to Lauras classes (pay)

[@tess7798]

Did you subscribe James?

[@gory2905]

James?

[@sreejith319]

I am happy being one among the first few people to comment here and i'm sure she is gonna be the super German teacher

[@Johnsondsouza1987]

Thanks for simplifying the sentence structure, Laura! I definitely feel smarter in German now 😃

[@livelive3532]

That's a great video, explaining it so clearly. Well done. Danke sehr.

[@stela_solar]

You teach amazingly well, I could understand all the structure patterns. 🙌🌸

[@DrDavidPhD]

I am a paying member! I am so happy that I found Laura's classes! Furthermore, I felt helpless when learning German without knowing the grammar! She's made it so much more learnable! Danke!

[@calafeabra3727]

One of the best lessons ever had. Thank you!

[@goyanialish6231]

Oh thank you so much. You solve all questions in one video 💐

[@adec.881]

Thank you soe much :) I started tutoring lessons 3 weeks ago and i've been having a rlly hard time understanding the sentences, even though i know what the words meant. Now it finally makes sense. I still rely on translation, hopefully someday i'll be able to think in German

[@beckmillan]

I am an American but German is my first language. I love how you explain and break things down. Your pronunciation is spot on!

[@MoroccanSahara903]

How long have you been studying? Have you mastered it yet?

[@beckmillan]

@@MoroccanSahara903 German or English?

[@MoroccanSahara903]

​@@beckmillanof course German

[@beckmillan]

@@MoroccanSahara903 As I stated in my initial comment: it’s my FIRST language. I don’t need to figure it out.

[@flonations1323]

This video and all German with Laura videos are truly the best! If your wanting to learn German this instructor is the place to start, hands down!

[@rejoicemurnane8680]

Thank you so much!!! You have explained the sentence structure in the best possible way. Really grateful.

[@jehovahloydloud1396]

Thank you so much Laura, your teaching style is very easy and enjoyable to understand.It's hard for me to learn German as there are so many things to remember when constructing thoughts in that language. Hope you will have more videos to come. More powers :)

[@ricardogonzalezponce6196]

THIS IS A JEWEL OF A VIDEO!! Thank you so much!! Spanish is my first language, and exactly this "grammar formulas" were the ones that helped in my English learning process, now you did the same for my German learning process, thank u so much!!

[@mhditb7817]

This is amazingly Beyond the reach of words. Thank you so much.

[@OnurTeacher10ur]

I am truly enlightened now, thank you for your fluent speaking style and great explanation 😊🤍

[@olibooktellerin5536]

this video was amazing and the easiest way i found to understand the word order! viele danke!

[@kar01870]

This incredibly helpful. Thank you, Laura!

[@tourdesource]

You're an amazing teacher -- word order isn't so hard after all. Danke schön!

[@sriramm6366]

Thank you for this video Laura!!🙌🙌

[@gtrichur11]

superb slot analysis! thank you for being so clear!!

[@TaylorSargeant]

This was so interesting and informative, also such a great explanation. German is my 2nd language and sentence structur was one (still is at times - Native Englisch brain 🤣) a problem. But this explains it so easy. I still find it complicated with more complex sentences, but I know that with time with the language it will soon become 2nd nature to speak and think in a German way. Thank you so much for the video! Es hat mir sehr geholfen. 🙂 Tausend Dank!

[@rheamaepasaporte2276]

thank you very much! I learned a lot from this video. More power to your channel!

[@chuksojiugwo1069]

Laura's channels make German easy and reasonable to a beginner from English background. Surprisingly, I found simple but comprehensive answers to questions I have been asking, including regular school teachers, without explanations. Thank you Laura. I hope to subscribe to your paid channels soon. Danke!

[@praveenyadav7369]

The very first video i saw this one and its so much satisfying and good detailing point to point....thank you so much... Subscribing it now

[@CathleenRehfeld]

Thank you Laura 😃 Your videos on German are great. Super helpful!

[@GermanwithLaura]

You're so welcome!

[@philipamisare4721]

wow what a great videos. You are the best german tutor any student can ask for. Thank you very much

[@GermanwithLaura]

Thanks for being here!

[@LathaRavi91]

Beautifully explained. Thanks a lot. Could not find your video series 5 ,6

[@ranitkumarnaskar1035]

This is a beautiful video.. Thank u Laura for this ❤

[@jaysoncalimlim1860]

Very Good Example.. Dankeschön!!

[@georgeli3853]

So great and inspiring!

[@axman5296]

Very nice work! Some people are born to teach!

[@michaelbruce5415]

This is REALLY helpful, thank you.

[@GermanwithLaura]

My pleasure!

[@graceamate9867]

I dont understand this but you have made me understand more.Thanks

[@DrivingPlanet]

This video was very helpful as I am beginning to learn German and always found the sentence structures confusing. This video really helped me understand it very easily. Thank you!

[@GermanwithLaura]

You're very welcome!

[@neruyagordun6588]

I do appreciate you great teacher.

[@study_with_me_MAT]

Thanks very much for this video. It all makes much more sense now. I'm Portuguese and I've learned English, Spanish, French and Swedish but was struggling to make sense of the patterns I was encountering in German. Really helpful! Thanks!

[@GermanwithLaura]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ayushanand92]

Vielen Dank Laura. Das is wirklich hilfreich.

[@sakomei]

not studying german but this really gives better understanding to so many things regarding language :)

[@cedward85]

I have learned the very basic German from apps, but this channel is taking my comprehension and understanding to much higher levels than any app ever could. Some people have a calling to be a teacher, and Laura is easily one of those people. Your laid back attitude and ability to explain complex ideas simply are unmatched and greatly aprreciated. Thank you!

[@GermanwithLaura]

Thanks for your kind words! So glad to have you here. :-)

[@yungbanz4635]

Amazing video! By any chance, will you have a video regarding prepositions?

[@kcsizzle23]

Best instructor!

[@daisybetut]

Thank you so much.

[@zakinabyzada4275]

I have been searching for this type of video for a long time. Finally i found it. Thanks dear i hope u doing great . Although subbed Can you make verbs with their patrzip 2 and nouns related video. Thanks

[@oDinarte]

You have a new subscriber! Thanks 🙌

[@thefceUSMC]

Great video.

[@koustubhheblikar4693]

Thanks alot! You are amazing!

[@lilianaamorin9904]

best teacher ever!!!👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@schachspieler3254]

fortschritte Erklarung, danke schön

[@nosywendigo592]

Deutschlernen macht mich sehr stark, denn ich esse immer Deutsch zum Frühstück! Das Essen (Deutschlernen) ist immer gut! Nom-nom-nom! Kellnerin, ich will mehr!

[@elmaystro8742]

Gut danke. Das ist super

[@homaghezel6908]

Thanks a lot.

[@ikeaggrey3943]

Thank you so much. I have stayed in Hamburg for about six years and I get confused about the construction of sentences. Only that you run fast.

[@GermanwithLaura]

I think you should be able to select to watch the videos at .75 speed, which might be just right, then. :-)

[@maamriabassem3818]

Amazingly amazing explanation 🥰🥰🥰🥰😁😁😁😁

[@yuexingxingmanhua8304]

Thanks a lot

[@seharsiddiqui2626]

Thanks a lot miss now I understand how I make german sentence ❤

[@saravananbalasubramaniyan1073]

Vielen Danke

[@jorgesanchez3403]

Excellent video! 💕 By the way, where should I put the 'nicht' or a 2nd or 3rd verb in those situations? 😯

[@amrmohsen4738]

Thanks

[@user-fj6ll5jp2t]

Just watched the first few minutes of the video and I can say youre a brilliant teacher. The way you explained everything is just phenomenal! I would love to buy a paid course for German A2 on udemy if you have it.

[@GermanwithLaura]

So glad you enjoyed it! Laura does not have courses on Udemy, but you can sample her work with her free mini course if you would like! germanwithlaura.com/unlocking-german-grammar/ -Nicole, GwL Team

[@lucynela]

Danke really 🙏🏻 wirklich

[@mlmdam7145]

Best German teacher on KZbin KZbin best German teacher KZbin German best teacher

[@ammarsalehuddin8250]

The best ..ur my solution for german

[@abdulkarimsaeed3200]

Bravo again

[@samuelfisher7426]

Can you do that video on prepositional phrases bitte?

[@francistan638]

Meine Frau kommt aus Deutschland. She has never properly explained word order other than “it sounds right.” I finally understand this concept which has been so frustrating. Thank you for explaining this better than my wife

[@GermanwithLaura]

It can be really challenging for native speakers of any language to explain the ins & outs to those trying to learn. I'm glad some grammar concepts are making more sense now!

[@nicolawilliamsonphotograph5836]

My partner says the same when I ask - just says "That's just how you say it". Then again, he asks me questions about English and I can never explain why we say things in the way we do.

[@alexiemallari7133]

will tekamolo work??... Thank you for the videos... It helps a lot 😊.. God bless 💕

[@tejasvisingh20]

patiently waiting for the video on prepositional phrases 😄

[@GermanwithLaura]

I cover accusative and dative prepositions in my paid course, German Foundations! I don't know how soon I might get to making a video on the subject for my YT channel. I've got a lot of other to-dos keeping me busy for some time!

[@shifamwesigye4450]

You are the best

[@kristinaverhulst1175]

Danke Laura. In my Elementary German I class, my professor did not explain the sentence order the way you have in this video and I still struggled. You made this so clear and simple in your breakdown. I am starting to understand now when I feared I never would! Vielen Dank!!!! Btw, I loved your Yoda reference. :)

[@kristinaverhulst1175]

I did try making my own sentences to turn into German and I came out halfway there in terms of switching accusative, dative or nominative but then something did not seem right. I want to keep practicing. I think maybe my sentences did not have all of the necessary elements.

[@GermanwithLaura]

You can absolutely do this. I do go into a lot more detail in my German Foundations course and would love to see you there whenever you're ready for it. I hope that my Unlocking German Grammar course was helpful as well! :-)

[@kristinaverhulst1175]

@@GermanwithLaura It was helpful in the sense with how you explained why German can switch around in sentences with dative, accusative etc while English is strict. I was still mystified after my German class but you explained here why it works in a great break down so I began to understand a little bit where you were going with this. Obviously with more practice, then trying to fully understand the declensions because I am sort of stuck there at the moment, will get my bicycle moving again if that makes sense as in I will understand German sentences completely. I definitely want to take your course when I am ready money -wise and will reach out to you about that when that time comes. I found my father's German grammer book with excellent sentences in which it is asked to translate the sentences into German etc. I did one of those sentences and again, I was halfway there when I got stuck and hopefully with your course and your videos on declensions and a lot of practice, I will get it. I don't want to give up. I have such a zeal for learning this language that I can't give up. I had a few moments during Elementary German 1 where I was slightly frustrated but I took a step back and took deep breaths and repeated as a mantra, " I can do this", I can do this". I tried so hard and worked as hard as I could. I was not 100% perfect but I came out with a B+. Either way, my point is, I told myself then " I can do this and don't want to give up", and now am saying, thinking and believing, " I can do this and I don't want to give up!"

[@GermanwithLaura]

Sorry for the belated response! I love that you were able to find and use your father's book. What a cool experience to 'share' with him.

[@TheVimeo]

s - v - o or o - v - s s -> subject v - > verb o -> object

[@jedgeorge3485]

Do you realize how AMAZING you are?! I finally understood, I can't believe it! Thank you so much!!! WHO ARE YOU?? :))

[@GermanwithLaura]

Haha! This might be one of my favorite comments of all time. ;-) Danke!

[@ld7241]

Hi Laura, can you place morgen at the end of the sentence? or does it have to be either at the beginning of the sentence or after the subject?

[@reallysarcastic7056]

Can you please make a video about where to put adverbs, particles, words like auch, wieder and so on. Thx

[@GermanwithLaura]

Great suggestion. Thanks!

[@jackryan1270]

Very good explanation with comparison with English sentence structure. Would you also go into detail about word order within the #3, that is, .TeKaMoLo ( Temporal Kausal Modal Lokal) . And make another perfect comparison with English. Thank you very much for your energy and excitement while explaining the topic.👏

[@GermanwithLaura]

I'm sure I'll get to a video on that topic eventually! :-D

[@jyotijoshi8101]

wow you make german so easier

[@thesecondslit1710]

BTW... Portuguese can do that too. Kinda. Translating literally, it goes like this : 1. Uma mulher canta para seu pequeno bebê uma canção; 2. Para seu pequeno bebê canta uma mulher uma canção; 3. Uma canção canta uma mulher para o seu bebê. In usual Brazilian Portuguese the most natural order would be 'Uma mulher canta uma canção para seu bebê', though. That was really enlightening. Cheers !!!

[@learngerman256]

Wow wow wow!

[@johncameron8619]

could understand feel could make veiter vielen dank

[@Sunnylife641]

I've been a while find this kind of explain

[@kerrysterll]

I’m not fluent in any particular language ; I just have knowledge of bits and pieces ,, especially pertaining to romance languages and dielectric words )) not bad for me, having a muter that comes from chesterfield and a fater coming from mid yorkshire ;;

[@vincentproud6589]

Is it correct to say that you can't always change around the order of a sentence with only feminine nouns? Because the word infront doesn't seem to change in the different cases? For instance "Die Katze fängt die Maus" And "Die Maus fängt die Katze" Can only be distinguished in meaning by word order, right? Also doesn't a verb + nominative order imply a question? How can I tell the difference between a question and a transposed sentence for the purpose of emphasis?

[@divine_exhortation7852]

Wow. Where have you been.Thanks is all I can say

[@mihir3870]

Danke !!!! love from india

[@liamcole1327]

I have to say, this has helped me a lot i am studding German one so i really needed this. But I wouldn’t mind sounding like yoda……..😂

[@davidhuber7552]

A suggested game for German learners: speak English with German syntax. Examples follow. Qu.: Have you today the car seen? Ans.: No, today have I it not seen. Qu.: Where park you it usually? Ans.: I take usually the train. Qu.: Know you that Tom sick is? Ans.: No, that knew I not. Etc.

[@GermanwithLaura]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jorgesanchez3403]

Question: Can a transposition and (pro)noun-verb inversion exist in a subordinating clause? 🤯✨

[@GermanwithLaura]

In running through a few examples in my head, my answer is 'no' (I'll reserve the possibility of being wrong, of course, but I don't think I am!). A subordinating clause should always be subordinating conjunction + subject + all the various possible contents of position/field #3 + verb(s). The only time that any apparent transposition is possible is in a 'double nominative' (

[@kerrysterll]

You can move the elements 2 & fro in latin as long as you’ve got the correct word endings ; Adverbs in latin don’t have declension terminology ;;

[@amandawoodward5596]

I love learning German but I always struggle with sentence structure and developing complex sentences. That said, I can only construct simple sentences. Complex sentences require me to plan them out and determine what case is used for what I want to say.

[@GermanwithLaura]

It's definitely a growing process. You can absolutely do this!

[@ewoid64]

Great presentation and clear explanation, Laura. Danke vielmals! I still have one small bit of confusion, though. In the sentence: "Ich fliegen morgen mit meiner Familie nach Destschland," how do you know to put "mit meiner Familie" before "nach Deutschland?" Would it be ok to reverse that order? This has been bugging me for years, particularly in subordinate clauses. Thank you for your great videos! Tim

[@GermanwithLaura]

Standard word order for elements that describe the 'where, when, with whom, how, etc.' details is first 'time', then 'manner' (how), and then 'place' (frequently rendered as 'TMP'). So, that is the reason why the 'how' (mit meiner Familie' precedes the 'where' (nach Deutschland). You absolutely can swap them around into a non-standard order, but then you would be emphasizing that element that you place last out of the group.

[@ewoid64]

@@GermanwithLaura Thank you, Laura! I had a nagging sense that there might be such a convention, but never got it down so succinctly. This will spur my late efforts to get back up to speed in das Deutsch. BTW what do you think of Duolingo? Best, Tim

[@GermanwithLaura]

Duolingo can be a fun app to use, but it doesn't explain anything very well. In my courses, I give you the tools to recognize patterns and rules so you don't have to guess if you're getting the right information.

[@yungbanz4635]

Regarding the last example (~17:52 into the video), is this an acceptable sentence: "Mit meiner Familie fliege ich nach deutschland morgen"? In other words, can the "morgen" practically go anywhere (similar to the dative and accusative pronouns)?

[@user-nx8fn7jg1r]

What's the correct order of adverbs and objects after the verb in position 3?

[@GermanwithLaura]

In a standard sentence you'll see the nominative case, then verb, then dative, and then the accusative case. Adverbs will be placed dependent on what they are modifying. This is a much deeper discussion that I dive into in my later courses. I'd love to have you get started with my free mini-course here! germanwithlaura.com/unlocking-german-grammar/

[@mickbohan3963]

Omg why hasn't someone done this before

[@shahahdhs]

I’m interested in learning as many languages as i can, my list of learning languages go: German Spanish French Italian Dutch Russian Welsh Navajo

[@GermanwithLaura]

You can do this! That is an amazing goal to have.