Ich lerne Deutsch.
I am learning German.
A complete main clause with lerne following the subject ich.
Give a reason with weil or denn
Connect two short statements without carrying English word order into every German clause.
What you will be able to do
Explain a reason using weil and denn, locate the finite verb, and move a weil-clause to the front without losing the main-clause inversion.
Lesson 1 of 1 in this German path.
Before you start
Know ich (I), lerne (learn), arbeite (work), Deutsch (German), hier (here) and heute (today). A finite verb is marked for person or tense. A clause is a group built around a verb and its participants.
How to use this lesson
- Underline lerne and arbeite in the worked examples.
- Join the same two statements first with weil, then with denn.
- Reorder the four exercises and explain where the finite verb belongs.
Learn the pattern
Weil introduces a subordinate reason
In the standard written pattern taught here, weil sends the finite verb to the end of its clause: weil ich hier arbeite (because I work here). Keep the main clause’s normal order: Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich hier arbeite. A comma separates the clauses.
Denn links main clauses
Denn also gives a reason but does not send the following verb to the end: Ich lerne Deutsch, denn ich arbeite hier. The second clause retains ich arbeite hier. Treat the connector separately from that clause’s first sentence unit.
Put the reason first
A fronted weil-clause occupies the first unit of the main sentence: Weil ich hier arbeite, lerne ich Deutsch. After the comma, the main finite verb lerne comes before ich. You may hear weil with main-clause order in conversation; that variation is outside the written pattern practised here.
Worked examples
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich hier arbeite.
I am learning German because I work here.
Arbeite moves to the end of the weil-clause.
Ich lerne Deutsch, denn ich arbeite hier.
I am learning German, because I work here.
Denn leaves the second clause in main-clause order.
Weil ich hier arbeite, lerne ich Deutsch.
Because I work here, I am learning German.
The fronted reason is followed by lerne ich, not ich lerne.
Build it step by step
- Take the statements Ich lerne Deutsch and Ich arbeite hier.
- Choose weil: place arbeite at the end of its clause and insert the comma.
- Choose denn instead: retain ich arbeite hier after the connector.
- Front the weil reason: Weil ich hier arbeite, lerne ich Deutsch. Check the subordinate verb at the end and the main verb immediately after the comma.
Try it before looking
Write or say each answer first. Open the explanation to check the pattern, then close it and try again. These are self-checks; your answers are not stored by this page.
1. Order the reason: weil / ich / heute / arbeite.
Show answer and explanation
weil ich heute arbeite
The finite verb arbeite ends this standard written subordinate clause.
2. Replace weil with denn in Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich hier arbeite.
Show answer and explanation
Ich lerne Deutsch, denn ich arbeite hier.
Denn takes main-clause order, so arbeite returns after ich.
3. Finish Weil ich hier arbeite, ___ using ich / Deutsch / lerne.
Show answer and explanation
Weil ich hier arbeite, lerne ich Deutsch.
The reason clause is the first unit; the main finite verb lerne follows it before the subject.
4. Repair the standard written pattern: Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich arbeite hier.
Show answer and explanation
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich hier arbeite.
Place arbeite at the end of the weil-clause for the pattern taught here.
Keep and use the result
Weil: finite verb at the end of the reason clause. Denn: ordinary main-clause order. A reason placed first is followed by main-clause verb–subject order.
Write the same reason once with weil and once with denn. Then front the weil-clause. Keep all three versions together and return to German grammar practice for other sentence patterns.
Sources and scope
Grammar references checked October 25, 2026. Teaching examples and exercises are original. This is a focused learning unit, with no recorded audio or human teaching review claimed.