German · B1 · Family moment
Knowing what to do in a fire drill in German
Practise calm school fire-drill instructions using falls (if / in case). Falls introduces a possible situation and helps your child understand the backup plan. Use these phrases alongside the school's own safety instructions.
What you'll learn
- Use falls to introduce a possible situation.
- Place the finite verb at the end of a falls clause.
- Connect a possible situation with an instruction or question.
- Distinguish contingency falls from habitual wenn meaning whenever.
German phrases for knowing what to do in a fire drill
Falls der Alarm losgeht, lass deine Sachen liegen.
If the alarm goes off, leave your things behind.
Losgeht is the finite verb at the end of the falls clause.
Falls du deine Lehrkraft nicht sehen kannst, sag einem anderen Erwachsenen Bescheid.
If you cannot see your teacher, tell another adult.
The finite verb kannst comes last, after sehen.
Falls der Flur voller Rauch ist, nimm den anderen Ausgang.
If the corridor is smoky, use the other exit.
Voller Rauch means full of smoke; ist ends the falls clause.
Falls du Angst hast, bleib dicht bei deiner Gruppe.
If you feel frightened, stay close to your group.
Falls introduces a possible feeling, not something that must happen.
Falls jemand fehlt, sag der Lehrkraft sofort Bescheid.
If someone is missing, tell the teacher straight away.
Fehlt comes at the end of the possible-situation clause.
Falls wir draußen sind, wo sollen wir uns treffen?
If we are outside, where should we meet?
The falls clause ends with sind; the question follows the comma.
Falls du die Anweisungen vergisst, folge deiner Lehrkraft.
If you forget the instructions, follow your teacher.
Vergisst is the final verb in the falls clause.
Falls es nur eine Übung ist, gehen wir trotzdem ruhig.
If it is only a practice, we still walk calmly.
The falls clause ends with ist. The main statement starts with gehen.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
der Alarm; plural: die Alarme
alarm
Der Alarm geht los means the alarm goes off.
die Sache; plural: die Sachen
thing; belongings
Deine Sachen means your things or belongings.
die Lehrkraft; plural: die Lehrkräfte
teacher
A gender-neutral word for a teacher.
der Erwachsene / die Erwachsene; plural: die Erwachsenen
adult
Einem anderen Erwachsenen means to another adult.
der Flur; plural: die Flure
corridor; hallway
Used for a passage inside a building.
der Rauch; plural: not normally used
smoke
Voller Rauch means full of smoke.
der Ausgang; plural: die Ausgänge
exit
Der andere Ausgang means the other exit.
die Gruppe; plural: die Gruppen
group
Dicht bei deiner Gruppe means close to your group.
die Anweisung; plural: die Anweisungen
instruction
Often used in the plural for a set of instructions.
die Übung; plural: die Übungen
practice; drill; exercise
Here it means a practice drill.
Bescheid sagen
to tell someone; to let someone know
Sag sofort Bescheid means tell someone straight away.
Falls: a plan for a possible situation
Falls means if or in case. It presents a situation as possible, rather than certain. Put the finite verb—the verb carrying person and tense—at the end of the falls clause. Separate this clause from the main clause with a comma.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One verb | falls + subject + other information + finite verb | Falls jemand fehlt, sag der Lehrkraft sofort Bescheid. |
| With a modal verb | falls + subject + other information + infinitive + finite modal | Falls du deine Lehrkraft nicht sehen kannst, sag einem anderen Erwachsenen Bescheid. |
| With a separable verb | Keep the prefix attached to the final verb. | Falls der Alarm losgeht, lass deine Sachen liegen. |
What follows a falls clause
After a fronted falls clause, an instruction starts with its command verb. In a statement, the main verb comes immediately after the comma, before the subject. A question such as wo sollen wir uns treffen keeps its question order.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Instruction | Falls …, command verb + … | Falls du Angst hast, bleib dicht bei deiner Gruppe. |
| Statement | Falls …, finite verb + subject + … | Falls es nur eine Übung ist, gehen wir trotzdem ruhig. |
| Question | Falls …, question word + finite verb + subject + …? | Falls wir draußen sind, wo sollen wir uns treffen? |
Falls versus habitual wenn
Use falls for a possible eventuality: if this happens. Habitual wenn means when or whenever something regularly happens. Wenn can also mean conditional if, but falls makes the contingency meaning explicit; it does not mean whenever.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Possible situation | falls = if / in case | Falls der Alarm losgeht, lass deine Sachen liegen. |
| Regular routine | immer wenn = whenever | Immer wenn wir eine Übung machen, gehen wir ruhig nach draußen. |
More examples
Falls du unsicher bist, frag deine Lehrkraft.
If you are unsure, ask your teacher.
Bist ends the falls clause; frag starts the instruction.
Falls du deine Gruppe nicht finden kannst, sag einer Lehrkraft Bescheid.
If you cannot find your group, tell a teacher.
The finite modal kannst comes after the infinitive finden.
Wir bleiben ruhig, falls der Alarm losgeht.
We stay calm if the alarm goes off.
A falls clause can also follow the main clause. Losgeht still comes last.