German · B1 · Family moment
Little Causes Count in German
Small events can have noticeable results in a child’s day. Use sodass to connect an event with its observed consequence. Unlike damit, sodass describes what happened as a result, not what someone intended.
What you'll learn
- Describe everyday causes and their results using sodass.
- Place the finite verb at the end of a sodass clause.
- Distinguish an observed result with sodass from an intended purpose with damit.
German phrases for little causes count
Deine Trinkflasche ist ausgelaufen, sodass deine Hausaufgaben nass geworden sind.
Your bottle leaked, so your homework got wet.
Hausaufgaben is plural. In the result clause, the finite auxiliary sind comes after geworden.
Wir sind früh von zu Hause losgegangen, sodass wir schon vor dem Klingeln am Schultor ankamen.
We left home early, so we reached the school gate before the bell.
The finite verb ankamen ends the result clause. Schon emphasizes that you arrived before the bell.
Du hast die schwierigen Wörter geübt, sodass du die ganze Seite lesen konntest.
You practised the difficult words, so you could read the whole page.
With a modal verb, the infinitive lesen comes before the finite verb konntest at the end.
Der Deckel deiner Brotdose war nicht richtig zu, sodass die Apfelscheiben in deine Tasche gefallen sind.
The lunchbox lid was loose, so the apple slices fell into your bag.
Nicht richtig zu is a natural everyday way to describe a lid that was not securely closed.
Es hat den ganzen Nachmittag geregnet, sodass das Fußballtraining ausgefallen ist.
It rained all afternoon, so football practice was cancelled.
Ausfallen means that a scheduled activity does not take place. The auxiliary ist ends the result clause.
Du hast mehrere Wochen lang dein Taschengeld gespart, sodass du genug Geld für das Spiel hattest.
You saved your pocket money for several weeks, so you had enough for the game.
Mehrere Wochen lang expresses duration. Hattest describes the resulting situation.
Dein Zahn war ganz locker, sodass er beim Essen ausgefallen ist.
Your tooth was very loose, so it fell out while you were eating.
Beim Essen means 'while eating.' Er refers back to the masculine noun der Zahn.
Du hast die Regeln klar erklärt, sodass alle das Spiel verstanden haben.
You explained the rules clearly, so everyone understood the game.
Alle takes a plural verb. The finite auxiliary haben comes last.
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
sodass
so; with the result that
Introduces a result clause. The spelling so dass is also correct.
auslaufen
to leak
A separable verb: Die Flasche läuft aus. Its perfect form uses sein: ist ausgelaufen.
die Brotdose
lunchbox
A common word for a child’s food container, even when it contains more than bread.
ausfallen
to be cancelled; to fall out
Meaning depends on context: training can be cancelled, and a tooth can fall out. Both use ist ausgefallen.
das Taschengeld
pocket money; allowance
Usually used without a plural: Taschengeld sparen means 'to save pocket money.'
locker
loose
Useful for a wobbly tooth: Mein Zahn ist locker.
Connecting a cause with its result
Put the event or cause in the main clause, then add a comma and sodass. The sodass clause states the consequence. Its finite verb—the verb marked for person and tense—comes at the end.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause | Subject + finite verb + other information | Dein Zahn war ganz locker. |
| Result clause | sodass + subject + other information + finite verb | Du hast gespart, sodass du genug Geld hattest. |
Verb groups at the end
In a perfect-tense result clause, put the past participle before the finite auxiliary. With a simple past modal such as konntest, put the infinitive before the modal.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect with sein | past participle + finite form of sein | Es hat geregnet, sodass das Training ausgefallen ist. |
| Perfect with haben | past participle + finite form of haben | Du hast alles erklärt, sodass alle das Spiel verstanden haben. |
| Simple past modal | infinitive + finite modal verb | Du hast geübt, sodass du die Seite lesen konntest. |
Result with sodass versus purpose with damit
Sodass reports a consequence. Damit explains a goal or intention without saying whether it was achieved. Both introduce subordinate clauses with the finite verb at the end. English 'so' can express either meaning, so check the context.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Observed result | sodass = with the result that | Ich habe deutlich gesprochen, sodass alle mich verstanden haben. |
| Intended purpose | damit = in order that | Ich habe deutlich gesprochen, damit alle mich verstehen. |
More examples
Die Suppe war sehr heiß, sodass ich warten musste.
The soup was very hot, so I had to wait.
The infinitive warten comes before the finite modal musste.
Du hast die Blumen gegossen, sodass die Erde jetzt feucht ist.
You watered the flowers, so the soil is damp now.
A past action can have a present result. Ist still comes at the end.
Ich stelle dir einen Hocker hin, damit du das Waschbecken erreichen kannst.
I’m putting a step stool out for you so you can reach the sink.
Damit expresses the purpose of putting out the stool, rather than reporting an observed result.