German
German word order: the verb-second rule
German word order looks free but follows a firm rule: in a main clause the conjugated verb sits in second position, whatever comes first. In a subordinate clause it goes to the end. Get these two and most sentences fall into place.
The verb takes second place
In a main clause the conjugated verb takes second position. First place can be the subject, a time, or an object, but the verb stays second.
Ich gehe heute ins Kino.I go to the cinema today.
Heute gehe ich ins Kino.Today I go to the cinema. (verb still second)
The bracket: extra verbs go last
When a modal or a perfect tense adds a second verb part, it jumps to the end, wrapping the sentence in a bracket.
Ich will heute ins Kino gehen.I want to go to the cinema today.
Ich habe das Buch gelesen.I have read the book.
Subordinate clauses send it to the end
Main clauseverb second
- Ich bleibe zu Hause.
- I am staying home.
Subordinateverb last
- …weil ich müde bin.
- …because I am tired.
Words like weil, dass, wenn, ob push the verb to the very end.
Word order is a habit more than a rule, and habits come from repetition. Verboteca drills verb forms in short example sentences, so you meet the verb-second pattern in context rather than as an abstract rule.