wenn Clauses: Conditions and Repeated Events
Use wenn for conditions (if) and for things that happen every time (whenever) — with the familiar verb-final order, and the clause-first pattern where the two verbs meet at the comma.
Conditions: if
wenn introduces a condition — the German "if". Ich komme mit, wenn ich Zeit habe: whether I come along depends on whether I have time. Grammatically you are on well-trodden ground: wenn is a subordinating conjunction like weil and dass, so a comma stands before it and the conjugated verb moves to the end of its clause.
The wenn-clause names the condition; the main clause names the result. Both halves are usually in the present tense, even when the meaning points to the future: Wir grillen am Samstag, wenn das Wetter gut ist. German is relaxed about this — the present tense plus context does the job.
Conditions make offers and invitations polite and low-pressure: Du kannst mich anrufen, wenn du Hilfe brauchst — you can call me if you need help. No obligation, just an open door.
Ich komme mit, wenn ich Zeit habe.
I will come along if I have time.
Wir grillen am Samstag, wenn das Wetter gut ist.
We will have a barbecue on Saturday if the weather is good.
Present tense in both halves — German rarely needs a future form here.
Du kannst mich anrufen, wenn du Hilfe brauchst.
You can call me if you need help.
Repeated events: whenever
The same little word also covers things that happen every time: English "when" or "whenever". Ich trinke einen Kaffee, wenn ich müde bin — not one particular occasion, but the standing pattern of my life. German often adds immer (always) in front of wenn to underline the repetition: immer wenn.
There is no grammatical difference between the condition reading and the whenever reading — same comma, same verb-final order. Context decides which one you mean, and usually the sentence works either way without any harm to communication.
This double duty is worth noticing because English speakers sometimes hunt for a separate word for "whenever". You do not need one. wenn quietly does both jobs, and immer wenn is there when you want to be explicit.
Ich trinke einen Kaffee, wenn ich müde bin.
I drink a coffee when I am tired.
Er hört Musik, wenn er kocht.
He listens to music whenever he cooks.
Wir besuchen meine Eltern, wenn wir in Köln sind.
We visit my parents whenever we are in Cologne.
Starting with the wenn-clause
Very often the condition comes first: Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. Something interesting happens to the word order here. The whole wenn-clause counts as position one of the main sentence, so the main verb must follow immediately after the comma to stay in second position. The result is two verbs meeting at the comma: ... regnet, bleiben ...
That verb-verb meeting point feels strange to English speakers at first, but it is one of the most characteristic rhythms of German. Train it as a sound pattern: Wenn ich Zeit habe, koche ich. Wenn der Bus kommt, steigen wir ein.
You may also add dann after the comma: Wenn ich Zeit habe, dann koche ich etwas. The dann is optional and changes nothing — the conjugated verb still follows right away. Many speakers use it for emphasis or simply to buy a moment of thinking time.
Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause.
If it rains, we stay at home.
The two verbs meet at the comma: regnet, bleiben.
Wenn ich Zeit habe, dann koche ich etwas.
If I have time, then I cook something.
dann is optional — the verb follows the comma either way.
Immer wenn wir Besuch haben, backt meine Frau einen Kuchen.
Whenever we have visitors, my wife bakes a cake.
Plans, house rules and polite conditions
wenn-clauses run through the practical German of daily life. Making plans: Wenn du am Freitag Zeit hast, gehen wir essen. Reading the house rules of a building: half the sentences begin with Wenn. Service letters and websites love the polite closing formula Wenn Sie Fragen haben, rufen Sie uns bitte an — if you have questions, please call us. Note that the main clause there is an imperative, which is perfectly normal after a wenn-clause.
Neighbourly requests also lean on wenn: Wenn du das Fenster öffnest, mach bitte die Heizung aus. The condition softens the instruction and makes it sound reasonable rather than bossy.
A good exercise: write three wenn sentences about your own routines — one condition, one whenever-habit, one polite request to someone in your household. Put the wenn-clause first in at least one of them and check that the verbs meet at the comma.
Wenn Sie Fragen haben, rufen Sie uns bitte an.
If you have questions, please call us.
The main clause is an imperative — a very common pattern in letters and offices.
Wenn der Bus nicht kommt, nehme ich das Fahrrad.
If the bus does not come, I take the bike.
Wenn du das Fenster öffnest, mach bitte die Heizung aus.
If you open the window, please turn the heating off.
Ruf mich an, wenn du am Bahnhof bist.
Call me when you are at the station.
Check yourself
Quick checks on this lesson. Get at least three quarters right to mark it as completed.
Fill in the gap
es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause.
Hint: The conjunction for a condition — "if".
Practise what you learned