German · B1 · Family moment
Courage Takes Practice in German
Encourage your child to keep trying and enjoy hobbies, even when things feel difficult. These phrases use obwohl (“although”) to acknowledge a challenge while offering support.
What you'll learn
- Use obwohl to connect a difficulty with an encouraging message.
- Place the finite verb at the end of an obwohl clause.
- Put the main-clause verb directly after a fronted obwohl clause.
- Talk about practice, performances and perseverance.
German phrases for courage takes practice
Obwohl du nervös bist, kennst du deinen Text gut.
Although you are nervous, you know your lines well.
Deinen Text means “your lines” in a performance. Bist ends the obwohl clause; kennst comes immediately after the comma.
Obwohl das Training schwierig war, bist du bis zum Ende geblieben.
Although the practice was difficult, you stayed until the end.
War ends the obwohl clause. In the main clause, bist comes before du, and geblieben goes at the end.
Du kannst das Konzert genießen, obwohl du nur einen kleinen Part hast.
You can enjoy the concert although you have a small part.
Einen kleinen Part haben means having a small part in a performance. Hast goes at the end of the obwohl clause.
Obwohl deine Freunde lieber Fußball spielen, kannst du dich fürs Tanzen entscheiden.
Although your friends prefer football, you can choose dance.
Lieber Fußball spielen naturally expresses a preference for football here. Kannst comes directly after the fronted obwohl clause.
Du hast fair gespielt, obwohl dein Team verloren hat.
You played fairly although your team lost.
In the obwohl clause, the finite auxiliary hat follows the participle verloren.
Obwohl ich heute nicht kommen kann, werde ich mir dein nächstes Spiel ansehen.
Although I cannot come today, I will watch your next match.
The modal verb kann follows kommen at the end of the obwohl clause. Werde begins the main clause.
Dein Bild sieht toll aus, obwohl es noch nicht fertig ist.
Your painting looks great although it is not finished yet.
Aussehen (“to look”) separates into sieht … aus in the main clause. Ist ends the obwohl clause.
Obwohl du einen Fehler gemacht hast, hast du ruhig weitergemacht.
Although you made a mistake, you continued calmly.
The first hast ends the obwohl clause. The second hast begins the main clause, before du.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
obwohl
although; even though
Introduces a fact that contrasts with the main message.
der Text
text; lines in a performance
For an actor’s memorized lines, German commonly uses the singular Text.
bis zum Ende
until the end
Zum is short for zu dem.
der Part
part in a performance
Einen kleinen Part haben means having a small role or contribution.
sich für etwas entscheiden
to choose something; to decide on something
Use dich with du: Du entscheidest dich. Fürs Tanzen is short for für das Tanzen.
sich etwas ansehen
to watch or look at something
With ich, use mir: Ich sehe mir das Spiel an.
ruhig weitermachen
to continue calmly
Weitermachen separates in the present tense: Du machst ruhig weiter.
Obwohl introduces a contrast
Use obwohl when something is true despite a difficulty or an unexpected circumstance. Separate the obwohl clause from the main clause with a comma.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause first | Main clause, obwohl + subject + other words + finite verb. | Dein Bild sieht toll aus, obwohl es noch nicht fertig ist. |
| Obwohl clause first | Obwohl + subject + other words + finite verb, main-clause verb + subject + rest. | Obwohl du nervös bist, kennst du deinen Text gut. |
The finite verb goes last
The finite verb is the verb form that changes with the subject and tense. In an obwohl clause, it goes at the end. With the perfect tense or a modal verb, it follows the participle or infinitive.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single verb | obwohl + subject + other words + finite verb | obwohl das Training schwierig war |
| Perfect tense | obwohl + subject + other words + participle + finite auxiliary | obwohl dein Team verloren hat |
| Modal verb | obwohl + subject + other words + infinitive + finite modal | obwohl ich heute nicht kommen kann |
Verb before subject after a fronted obwohl clause
When the obwohl clause comes first, the whole clause fills the first position in the sentence. The main clause then starts with its finite verb, followed by its subject. Do not put the subject directly after the comma.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present tense | Obwohl …, kannst du … | Obwohl deine Freunde lieber Fußball spielen, kannst du dich fürs Tanzen entscheiden. |
| Perfect tense | Obwohl …, hast du … + participle. | Obwohl du einen Fehler gemacht hast, hast du ruhig weitergemacht. |
More examples
Du singst mit, obwohl du nervös bist.
You sing along although you are nervous.
The main clause comes first. Bist goes at the end of the obwohl clause.
Obwohl du nervös bist, singst du mit.
Although you are nervous, you sing along.
The meaning stays the same. With the obwohl clause first, singst comes directly after the comma, before du.