German linking words: 25 connectors like weil, obwohl and deshalb

🇩🇪 GermanB125 words

Linking words turn short sentences into real texts, and in German they also change word order: after weil, dass or obwohl the verb goes to the end, after deshalb or trotzdem it comes straight after the connector. These are the connectors examiners look for in telc B1 and TestDaF writing.

Where you will use it: Writing letters, essays and exam texts and giving reasons in speech.

German linking words and connectors — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

German	Meaning and example
weil	because (verb at the end)“Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.”I'm staying at home because I'm ill.
denn	because (normal word order)“Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank.”I'm staying at home, because I'm ill.
dass	that (verb at the end)“Ich glaube, dass er recht hat.”I think that he's right.
obwohl	although (verb at the end)“Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir spazieren.”Although it's raining, we're going for a walk.
wenn	if; whenever (verb at the end)“Wenn du Zeit hast, ruf mich an.”If you have time, call me.
als	when (a single event in the past)“Als ich in Berlin ankam, war es schon dunkel.”When I arrived in Berlin, it was already dark.
ob	whether; if“Ich weiß nicht, ob der Laden heute offen ist.”I don't know whether the shop is open today.
damit	so that (verb at the end)“Ich spreche langsam, damit alle mich verstehen.”I speak slowly so that everyone understands me.
während	while; during“Während ich koche, hört sie Musik.”While I cook, she listens to music.
nachdem	after (verb at the end)“Nachdem wir gegessen hatten, gingen wir ins Kino.”After we had eaten, we went to the cinema.
bevor	before (verb at the end)“Bevor du gehst, mach bitte das Licht aus.”Before you leave, please turn off the light.
falls	in case; if“Falls es regnet, nehmen wir den Bus.”If it rains, we'll take the bus.
sondern	but (rather), after a negative“Das ist nicht mein Auto, sondern das von meinem Bruder.”That's not my car, it's my brother's.
deshalb	that's why (verb comes next)“Ich hatte keine Zeit, deshalb habe ich nicht angerufen.”I had no time, that's why I didn't call.
trotzdem	nevertheless; still (verb comes next)“Es war kalt, trotzdem sind wir schwimmen gegangen.”It was cold, but we still went swimming.
außerdem	besides; in addition“Die Wohnung ist hell, außerdem hat sie einen Balkon.”The flat is bright, and it also has a balcony.
allerdings	however; admittedly“Das Hotel war schön, allerdings etwas teuer.”The hotel was nice, though a bit expensive.
jedoch	however“Der Plan ist gut, jedoch fehlt das Geld.”The plan is good; however, there's no money for it.
daher	therefore; so“Der Zug hatte Verspätung, daher kam ich zu spät.”The train was delayed, so I was late.
sodass	so that (as a result)“Es regnete stark, sodass das Spiel ausfiel.”It rained heavily, so the match was called off.
zum Beispiel	for example“Ich mag Obst, zum Beispiel Äpfel und Birnen.”I like fruit, for example apples and pears.
einerseits … andererseits	on the one hand … on the other hand“Einerseits ist die Stadt teuer, andererseits gibt es viele Jobs.”On the one hand the city is expensive; on the other, there are lots of jobs.
im Gegensatz dazu	in contrast“Berlin ist sehr groß, im Gegensatz dazu ist Weimar klein.”Berlin is very big; in contrast, Weimar is small.
zuerst	first (of all)“Zuerst lese ich die Aufgabe genau.”First I read the task carefully.
zum Schluss	finally; in conclusion“Zum Schluss möchte ich mich bei allen bedanken.”Finally, I'd like to thank everyone.

Tips for learning German words

Learn der, die or das with every nounThe article is part of the word: der Zug, die Fahrkarte, das Gleis. It decides the case endings and adjectives, so learn it from day one.
Type the umlauts and ßWrite ä, ö, ü and ß, not a, o, u or ss: schon means "already" but schön means "beautiful". Getting them right in WordNest trains your spelling.
Watch the verb positionIn a German main clause the verb comes second, and separable verbs split: "Ich rufe dich morgen an." Read each example aloud to feel the word order.

Standard German as used in Germany

German is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a few everyday words differ between them: a tomato is a Tomate in Germany and a Paradeiser in Austria, a bicycle is a Fahrrad rather than a Velo. These lists follow Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany, and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will be understood in every German-speaking country.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

German word lists →

Questions about this list

Is this German from Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany. Where Austria or Switzerland usually use a different word, the list gives the one used in Germany, but every word is understood across the German-speaking world.

How do I practise German linking words and connectors?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the German word, with its article, from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

Create a free account, choose German as a study language and add these words to your own deck.