German · A2 · Family moment
Support for Independence in German
Use wenn (“if”) to make clear everyday agreements and reassure your child that help is available. These present-tense sentences support independence with simple routines.
What you'll learn
- Use wenn to describe a condition.
- Put the conjugated verb at the end of a wenn clause.
- Start the main clause with the conjugated verb when the wenn clause comes first.
- Express supportive offers and everyday agreements using du.
German phrases for support for independence
Wenn du Hilfe brauchst, bin ich hier.
If you need help, I am here.
Brauchst ends the wenn clause. After the comma, bin comes before ich.
Wenn deine Hausaufgaben fertig sind, kannst du draußen spielen.
If your homework is finished, you can play outside.
Hausaufgaben is plural, so use sind. In the main clause, kannst comes first and spielen goes at the end.
Wenn du einen Freund besuchst, schickst du mir eine Nachricht.
If you visit a friend, you send me a message.
Use einen Freund for a male friend or eine Freundin for a female friend. Mir means “to me.”
Wenn deine Tasche schwer ist, trage ich sie.
If your bag is heavy, I carry it.
Sie means “it” here and refers to the feminine noun die Tasche.
Wenn du müde bist, machst du eine Pause.
If you are tired, you take a break.
Eine Pause machen is the natural German expression for “to take a break.”
Wenn deine Freunde zu Besuch kommen, essen wir zusammen.
If your friends come over, we eat together.
Zu Besuch kommen means “to come over for a visit.” Kommen goes at the end of the wenn clause.
Wenn du die Aufgabe nicht verstehst, lesen wir sie zusammen.
If you do not understand the task, we read it together.
Nicht makes the condition negative. Sie refers back to die Aufgabe.
Wenn du meine Werkzeuge benutzt, räumst du sie danach wieder weg.
If you use my tools, you put them away afterwards.
Wegräumen is separable: räumst comes first in the main clause, and weg goes at the end. Sie refers to the tools.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
die Hilfe
help
Use Hilfe brauchen for “to need help,” without an article.
die Hausaufgaben
homework
Usually plural in German, unlike English “homework.”
eine Nachricht schicken
to send a message
Add mir to say “to send me a message.”
schwer
heavy; difficult
With Tasche (“bag”), it means “heavy.”
eine Pause machen
to take a break
German uses machen (“make/do”) in this expression.
die Aufgabe
task; exercise
Can refer to a task or a school exercise.
das Werkzeug; die Werkzeuge
tool; tools
Meine Werkzeuge means “my tools.”
danach
afterwards; after that
Shows what happens next in an agreed routine.
Wenn clauses: the conjugated verb goes last
Wenn means “if” in these agreements. It introduces a condition. Put the conjugated verb at the end of that clause and separate it from the main clause with a comma.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| With an action | wenn + subject + other words + conjugated verb | Wenn du Hilfe brauchst, bin ich hier. |
| With sein (“to be”) | wenn + subject + adjective + form of sein | Wenn du müde bist, machst du eine Pause. |
| With a negative | wenn + subject + object + nicht + conjugated verb | Wenn du die Aufgabe nicht verstehst, lesen wir sie zusammen. |
After a fronted wenn clause: verb before subject
When the wenn clause comes first, begin the main clause with its conjugated verb, followed by the subject. The whole wenn clause fills the first position, so German still keeps the main verb in second position overall. The present tense can express an offer or an agreed routine.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple verb | wenn clause + comma + conjugated verb + subject + other words | Wenn deine Tasche schwer ist, trage ich sie. |
| Modal verb | wenn clause + comma + modal verb + subject + other words + infinitive | Wenn deine Hausaufgaben fertig sind, kannst du draußen spielen. |
| Separable verb | wenn clause + comma + conjugated verb + subject + other words + separated prefix | Wenn du meine Werkzeuge benutzt, räumst du sie danach wieder weg. |
More examples
Wenn du Hilfe brauchst, bin ich hier.
If you need help, I am here.
A reassuring offer: notice brauchst at the end of the condition and bin immediately after the comma.
Wenn du einen Freund besuchst, schickst du mir eine Nachricht.
If you visit a friend, you send me a message.
An everyday agreement: the present tense states the expected routine without using a command.
Wenn deine Freunde zu Besuch kommen, essen wir zusammen.
If your friends come over, we eat together.
A shared plan: kommen ends the condition, and essen comes before wir in the main clause.