Make plans and conditions with wenn

01 / Understand

Make one action depend on a condition

A condition names a situation on which another action depends. Ich komme, wenn ich Zeit habe means I will come if I have time in an ordinary planning context. The speaker has not necessarily confirmed having time. That uncertainty is part of the message: coming depends on the condition being met. Compare Ich komme, weil ich Zeit habe, where having time is presented as the reason for coming. Replacing one connector with another changes the relationship, even if many words stay identical.

The beginner pattern in this lesson uses wenn with an ordinary present tense condition. German present forms can refer to an upcoming plan when the context makes that time clear. Ich komme morgen, wenn ich Zeit habe therefore does not need a future auxiliary merely because the visit is tomorrow. The main point is the dependency between available time and the visit. Do not translate every English if or when without first identifying its job. Some uses ask a question about time, some introduce an uncertain yes or no issue, and others describe a condition. We will separate these jobs with short, concrete scenarios before adding longer clauses.

02 / Understand

Finish the condition with its finite verb

Wenn introduces a dependent clause. In the standard pattern, its finite verb goes at the end: wenn ich Zeit habe, wenn der Bus kommt, or wenn du müde bist. The verb retains the form required by the local subject. Bist agrees with du, while kommt agrees with the singular bus. The subject of the main clause does not control agreement inside the condition.

In Wir gehen, wenn der Bus kommt, the main subject is wir and the main verb is gehen. The dependent subject is der Bus and its verb is kommt. Marking these pairs separately helps prevent a plural ending from spreading into the wrong clause. With a noun object, keep its case: wenn ich einen Stift habe retains the masculine accusative einen Stift. With a possessive phrase, wenn meine Schwester kommt keeps meine Schwester as the subject. Word order is not a reason to discard familiar noun phrase structure. A useful construction method is to say the condition as a short statement first, such as Du bist müde. Add wenn, move bist to the end, and then attach a suitable main message. The resulting clause explains when that main action or suggestion applies.

03 / Understand

Front the condition and place the main verb next

Both clause orders are useful. Ich komme, wenn ich Zeit habe places the action before the condition. Wenn ich Zeit habe, komme ich places the condition first. In the second version, the entire dependent clause occupies the first constituent position of the larger sentence. The finite main verb komme follows the comma immediately, and the subject ich comes after it.

Do not write wenn ich Zeit habe, ich komme as a standard complete sentence with this intended structure. It leaves the main verb too late after the opening condition. In writing, use the comma to mark the boundary, but do not treat it as permission to restart an unrelated subject first clause. An optional dann can make the main result explicit: Wenn ich Zeit habe, dann komme ich. You do not need it in the shorter pattern, and adding it is not a substitute for checking the main verb. For initial practice, omit dann so that you can see the basic order clearly. Read the condition and result as one connected message, then switch their order while preserving the meaning. The exercise is successful when the dependency stays the same and each finite verb appears in the position required by its own clause.

04 / Understand

Distinguish a condition from a question about time

Wann asks for a time. Wann kommst du? asks when you are coming and expects information such as tomorrow or at seven. Wenn introduces a condition or a temporal setting rather than directly asking for the missing time. Ich komme, wenn ich Zeit habe does not ask the listener to name the hour; it explains what the visit depends on.

The question word can also remain inside an indirect question: Ich weiß nicht, wann er kommt means I do not know when he is coming. Compare Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt, I do not know whether he is coming. The first unknown is the time; the second is whether the visit will happen at all. Neither is the same as the condition Wenn er kommt, bin ich hier, if he comes, I will be here. These contrasts are worth learning as complete small messages. English often uses if for both a condition and an indirect yes or no question, but German uses different words in the examples here. For now, focus your own production on direct wann questions and simple wenn conditions. Recognizing ob prevents you from treating every English if as an automatic instruction to use wenn.

05 / Understand

Recognize repeated and future situations

Wenn also introduces temporal situations, often translated as when or whenever. Wenn ich müde bin, trinke ich Wasser describes what I do when I am tired. It can be understood as a repeated situation. The grammar alone does not insist that this happens every day, and the broader context determines how general the habit is. Words such as immer or an explicit routine can make repetition clearer.

For a future situation, Wenn du morgen kommst, bin ich zu Hause can mean when you come tomorrow or if you come tomorrow, depending on whether the visit is expected or still conditional. A beginner should not claim that wenn by itself perfectly marks the difference between English if and when. If certainty matters, add a clarifying statement or ask whether the plan is confirmed. A single completed past occasion often uses als instead: Als ich gestern hier war, war der Laden geschlossen. This lesson introduces that contrast only to set a boundary; it does not require you to master every temporal clause. Use wenn for the real conditions, repeated situations and upcoming plans practiced here. When writing a story about one particular past visit, check the separate temporal pattern instead of automatically reusing wenn.

06 / Understand

Put modals and negative conditions into a clear plan

A condition can include ability, permission or obligation. Wenn du kommen kannst, ruf mich an means if you can come, call me. In the dependent clause, kommen remains an infinitive and the finite modal kannst ends the clause. The main clause is an instruction using the familiar singular imperative of anrufen. Its separable prefix an appears at the end of that instruction.

For a statement with less new grammar, use Ich komme, wenn ich nicht arbeiten muss, I will come if I do not have to work. The condition denies an obligation in this context; it does not mean that working is forbidden. The infinitive arbeiten precedes the finite modal muss. Another clear negative condition is Wenn ich keine Zeit habe, komme ich nicht. Keine denies having any time, while nicht denies coming. The two clauses have separate negative elements serving different jobs. Do not assume that one negative word at the beginning somehow negates everything after it. When giving important practical details, make the condition explicit enough that the listener can distinguish no obligation, no ability and no permission. This lesson practices the first two without treating all modal negatives as interchangeable.

07 / Understand

Check the promise your condition actually makes

A conditional sentence does not automatically promise that its condition will happen. Wenn ich Zeit habe, helfe ich dir offers help if time is available. It differs from a direct confirmation that the speaker definitely has time and will help. The verb helfen takes a dative recipient, so dir remains the appropriate pronoun even though the sentence is now conditional. Adding a connector should preserve the underlying verb construction.

A condition may refer to something already completed: Wenn du das Buch gelesen hast, sprechen wir darüber. The perfect auxiliary hast comes at the end of the condition, after the participle gelesen. This gives you a useful recognition example without requiring every new plan to use the perfect. For production, begin with three decisions: what situation must hold, what action follows, and whether you are making a firm promise or a conditional offer. Write two short clauses, choose wenn, and then check agreement and word order. Finally, ask a wann question about a confirmed part of the plan. Separating that question from the condition helps you retrieve the distinction in conversation. In the game, read the described certainty and missing information before selecting a connector.

See it in a sentence

Notice the difference

Common mistakes

From understanding to using

Make your own example.

Try these without answer choices. Say your answer aloud or write it below, then compare your reasoning with the model.