German word order: verb in second position, questions and the sentence bracket

Rule

In a German main clause the conjugated verb is always the second element — the second position, not the second word. Everything else arranges itself around that fixed slot.

• Position 1 holds exactly one element. That can be the subject, a time phrase, a place or an object: Ich, Morgen and Nach dem Kurs each fill it completely, even when several words long.
• Inversion: as soon as something other than the subject opens the sentence, the subject moves directly behind the verb: Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin → Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin. In a statement the verb never leaves slot 2; only what stands in front of it changes.
• Yes/no questions put the verb in position 1, with the subject straight after it: Fährst du nach Hamburg? There is no English-style do. Statement order with a rising intonation (Du kommst heute Abend mit?) is a colloquial checking question, not the neutral form. In W-questions the question word takes position 1 and the verb stays second: Wann beginnt der Film?
• The sentence bracket (Verbklammer): with a modal verb or a separable verb the verb comes in two parts. The conjugated part stays in position 2, the infinitive or the separable prefix goes to the very end: Ich muss heute lange arbeiten. Der Kurs fängt um neun Uhr an. Everything else sits between the two brackets, in the so-called middle field. The Perfekt builds the same bracket (own chapter).
• Position 0: the conjunctions und, aber, oder, denn, sondern do not occupy position 1. The clause behind them still needs an element in front of the verb: usually the subject, but you can front something else, and then the subject follows the verb (…, aber morgen fahre ich weg).

Two things are left out here: clauses with weil, dass, wenn send the verb to the end, and several details inside the middle field follow their own order rule. Both have separate chapters.

Examples

• Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin. — I'm going to Berlin tomorrow.
• Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin. — Tomorrow I'm going to Berlin.
• Nach dem Kurs trinken wir einen Kaffee. — After the class we're having a coffee.
• Fährst du am Wochenende nach Hamburg? — Are you going to Hamburg at the weekend?
• Kommst du heute Abend mit? — Are you coming along tonight?
• Wann beginnt der Film? — When does the film start?
• Ich muss heute lange arbeiten. — I have to work late today.
• Am Samstag wollen wir ins Kino gehen. — On Saturday we want to go to the cinema.
• Der Kurs fängt um neun Uhr an. — The course starts at nine.
• Heute kann ich leider nicht kommen. — Unfortunately I can't come today.
• Ich lerne Deutsch, denn ich arbeite in Wien. — I'm learning German, because I work in Vienna.

Quick table

denn stands in position 0 and does not count; position 1 is still filled, here by the subject.

Common mistakes

• ❌ Morgen ich fahre nach Berlin. → ✅ Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin. — only one element may stand before the verb, so the subject moves behind it.
• ❌ Ich muss arbeiten heute lange. → ✅ Ich muss heute lange arbeiten. — the infinitive closes the bracket and must be the last word.
• ❌ Ich aufstehe um sechs Uhr. → ✅ Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf. — in a main clause the prefix of a separable verb goes to the end.
• ❌ Kommst heute Abend du mit? → ✅ Kommst du heute Abend mit? — in a yes/no question the subject stands directly behind the conjugated verb.
• ❌ Ich lerne Deutsch, denn arbeite ich in Wien. → ✅ Ich lerne Deutsch, denn ich arbeite in Wien. — denn sits in position 0 and does not fill position 1, so the verb still needs an element in front of it.

Related

Question words, modal verbs and separable verbs reuse this frame, so they are the natural next steps — followed by clauses with weil or dass, where the verb lands at the end.