German · B1 · Family moment
Small Brave Moments in German
Small Brave Moments: Use warm, encouraging German to help your child notice everyday courage. Clauses with obwohl (although) show that a difficulty does not stop someone from trying.
What you'll learn
- Recognize and praise small brave efforts in everyday situations.
- Use obwohl to connect an action with a difficulty or obstacle.
- Place the finite verb at the end of an obwohl clause.
- Put the main-clause verb immediately after a fronted obwohl clause.
German phrases for small brave moments
Obwohl du nervös bist, spielst du beim Fußballspiel mit.
Although you are nervous, you are joining the football game.
Bist ends the obwohl clause. The main clause begins spielst du; mitspielen is separable, so mit goes at the end.
Du trägst deinen Schulranzen, obwohl er ziemlich schwer ist.
You are carrying your school bag although it is quite heavy.
Er refers to the masculine noun der Schulranzen. Ist goes at the end of the obwohl clause.
Obwohl die Geschichte lang ist, liest du noch eine Seite.
Although the story is long, you are reading another page.
Noch eine Seite means one more page. After the opening obwohl clause, use liest du, not du liest.
Wir gehen zu Fuß zur Schule, obwohl es regnet.
We are walking to school although it is raining.
Zu Fuß makes it clear that you are walking. German uses es for weather expressions such as es regnet.
Obwohl dein Freund nicht kommen kann, können wir einen schönen Nachmittag haben.
Although your friend cannot come, we can have a lovely afternoon.
In the obwohl clause, the finite modal verb kann follows kommen. Use deine Freundin for a female friend.
Du probierst die Apfelscheiben, obwohl dein Zahn locker ist.
You are trying the apple slices although your tooth is loose.
Probieren means to try or taste food. Ein lockerer Zahn is a loose tooth.
Obwohl die Hausaufgaben schwierig sind, gibst du nicht auf.
Although the homework is difficult, you are not giving up.
Hausaufgaben is normally plural, so use sind. Aufgeben is separable: du gibst nicht auf.
Ich bin stolz auf deinen Einsatz, obwohl du das Rennen nicht gewonnen hast.
I am proud of your effort although you did not win the race.
Stolz auf takes the accusative. In the obwohl clause, the finite auxiliary hast comes after gewonnen.
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 difficulty or contrast that does not prevent the main action.
mitspielen
to join in a game; to play along
Separable verb: Du spielst mit.
der Schulranzen
school bag; school satchel
Commonly used for the structured school bags carried by primary-school children.
ziemlich
quite; fairly
Use before an adjective: ziemlich schwer means quite heavy.
die Apfelscheibe
apple slice
Plural: die Apfelscheiben.
aufgeben
to give up
Separable verb: Du gibst nicht auf means you are not giving up.
stolz auf
proud of
Follow with the accusative: Ich bin stolz auf dich means I am proud of you.
der Einsatz
effort; commitment
In praise, this highlights how hard someone tries rather than whether they win.
Obwohl introduces a contrast
Use obwohl when something happens despite a difficulty. Separate the obwohl clause from the main clause with a comma. Either clause can come first.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause first | Main clause, obwohl + subject + ... + finite verb. | Wir gehen zu Fuß zur Schule, obwohl es regnet. |
| Obwohl clause first | Obwohl + subject + ... + finite verb, main-clause verb + subject + ... . | Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir zu Fuß zur Schule. |
Put the finite verb at the end
The finite verb is the verb form that agrees with the subject. In an obwohl clause, it comes last. With a modal verb or the perfect tense, it follows the infinitive or past participle.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One verb | obwohl + subject + ... + finite verb | obwohl dein Zahn locker ist |
| Modal verb | obwohl + subject + ... + infinitive + finite modal verb | obwohl dein Freund nicht kommen kann |
| Perfect tense | obwohl + subject + ... + past participle + finite auxiliary | obwohl du das Rennen nicht gewonnen hast |
Inversion after an opening obwohl clause
An opening obwohl clause fills the first position in the sentence. The main-clause finite verb comes next, immediately after the comma, followed by the subject. Do not add an extra aber (but).
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb before subject | Obwohl ..., liest du ... . | Obwohl die Geschichte lang ist, liest du noch eine Seite. |
| Separable main-clause verb | Obwohl ..., gibst du ... auf. | Obwohl die Hausaufgaben schwierig sind, gibst du nicht auf. |
German present tense for ongoing actions
German normally uses the simple present for English forms such as you are carrying or we are walking. No separate continuous verb form is needed.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing action | du + present-tense verb | Du trägst deinen Schulranzen. |
More examples
Du machst mit, obwohl du nervös bist.
You are joining in although you are nervous.
With the main clause first, du comes before machst.
Obwohl du nervös bist, machst du mit.
Although you are nervous, you are joining in.
The same meaning with the difficulty first: machst now comes before du.
Obwohl du das Rennen nicht gewonnen hast, bin ich stolz auf dich.
Although you did not win the race, I am proud of you.
Hast ends the subordinate clause; bin begins the main clause.