German · B1 · Family moment
After the Disagreement in German
Use kind, practical German to help your child move forward after a disagreement. These phrases use sobald (as soon as) to connect a next step with the moment it becomes possible.
What you'll learn
- Talk about calming down, listening and repairing a friendship.
- Use sobald to show that one action follows immediately after another.
- Place the finite verb at the end of a sobald clause.
- Use the present tense for future actions and the perfect tense for completed steps.
German phrases for after the disagreement
Sobald du dich ruhiger fühlst, können wir über den Streit sprechen.
As soon as you feel calmer, we can talk about the argument.
Sich fühlen means to feel. In the sobald clause, fühlst comes after ruhiger.
Du kannst deine Sicht erklären, sobald dein Freund ausgeredet hat.
You can explain your side as soon as your friend finishes speaking.
Deine Sicht means your perspective or side. Ausgeredet hat means has finished speaking; hat comes last. Use deine Freundin for a female friend.
Sobald du nach Hause kommst, schauen wir uns die Nachricht zusammen an.
As soon as you get home, we will look at the message together.
German naturally uses the present tense for this future plan. Anschauen splits into schauen ... an in the main clause.
Ich höre dir zu, sobald du zum Reden bereit bist.
I will listen as soon as you are ready to talk.
Jemandem zuhören takes the dative: dir means to you. Bist is the final verb in the sobald clause.
Sobald du weißt, was sie aufgebracht hat, kannst du eine Lösung vorschlagen.
As soon as you know what upset her, you can suggest a solution.
Was sie aufgebracht hat means what upset her. This embedded clause follows weißt and ends with hat.
Wir können einen weiteren Besuch vereinbaren, sobald ihr beide es noch einmal versuchen möchtet.
We can arrange another visit as soon as you both want to try again.
Ihr beide means you both. The finite modal verb möchtet comes after the infinitive versuchen.
Sobald er sich entschuldigt, kannst du ihm sagen, wie du dich fühlst.
As soon as he apologizes, you can tell him how you feel.
Sich entschuldigen means to apologize. Wie du dich fühlst is another subordinate clause, with fühlst at the end.
Du kannst deine Antwort abschicken, sobald du die Formulierung überprüft hast.
You can send your reply as soon as you have checked the wording.
Überprüft hast uses the perfect tense to mark a completed check. The finite auxiliary hast comes last.
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
sobald
as soon as
Introduces the moment that makes the next action possible.
der Streit
argument; quarrel
Über den Streit sprechen means to talk about the argument.
ausreden
to finish speaking
In this context, jemanden ausreden lassen means to let someone finish speaking.
die Lösung
solution
Eine Lösung vorschlagen means to suggest a solution.
sich entschuldigen
to apologize
The reflexive pronoun changes with the subject: du entschuldigst dich; er entschuldigt sich.
die Formulierung
wording
Useful when checking whether a message sounds clear and kind.
Verb position after sobald
Sobald introduces a temporal subordinate clause. Its finite verb—the verb marked for person and tense—goes at the end. With a perfect tense or modal verb, the finite verb follows the participle or infinitive.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present tense | sobald + subject + other words + finite verb | sobald du dich ruhiger fühlst |
| Perfect tense | sobald + subject + other words + past participle + finite auxiliary | sobald du die Formulierung überprüft hast |
| Modal verb | sobald + subject + other words + infinitive + finite modal verb | sobald ihr beide es noch einmal versuchen möchtet |
Putting either clause first
The sobald clause can come first or second. Separate the clauses with a comma. When the sobald clause comes first, it fills the first position, so the main clause starts with its finite verb, followed by its subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sobald clause first | Sobald clause, main-clause verb + subject + rest | Sobald du bereit bist, höre ich dir zu. |
| Main clause first | Main clause, sobald clause | Ich höre dir zu, sobald du bereit bist. |
Future meaning and completed steps
German often uses the present tense for future actions when the context is clear. Use the perfect tense in the sobald clause to emphasize that a step will be completed before the next action.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Future action in the present tense | sobald + present tense | Sobald du nach Hause kommst, schauen wir uns die Nachricht zusammen an. |
| Completed step | sobald + perfect tense | Du kannst deine Sicht erklären, sobald dein Freund ausgeredet hat. |
More examples
Sobald ihr beide bereit seid, könnt ihr miteinander sprechen.
As soon as you are both ready, you can talk to each other.
Seid ends the sobald clause. Könnt starts the main clause.
Wir suchen gemeinsam eine Lösung, sobald du mir alles erzählt hast.
We will look for a solution together as soon as you have told me everything.
Erzählt hast marks the telling as complete before the search for a solution.
Sobald du dich entschuldigen möchtest, helfe ich dir, die richtigen Worte zu finden.
As soon as you want to apologize, I will help you find the right words.
The modal verb möchtest follows the infinitive entschuldigen at the end of the sobald clause.