Conjunctional adverbs (deshalb, trotzdem, außerdem): position and word order
deshalb, trotzdem, außerdem and co. are adverbs, not conjunctions: in position 1 the verb comes second and the subject follows it.
Rule
Conjunctional adverbs (Konjunktionaladverbien) such as deshalb, trotzdem, außerdem, dann, sonst link a clause to the sentence before it — but they are adverbs, not conjunctions. That single fact explains the word order: an adverb is a full sentence element and takes up a position in the clause, a conjunction does not.
Two placements:
- Position 1 (the front field). The adverb fills it, the conjugated verb follows in position 2 and the subject moves behind the verb: Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.
- In the middle field. The clause opens with the subject as usual and the adverb stands early — right after the conjugated verb and any pronouns: Ich bleibe deshalb zu Hause. It does not go at the end.
Compare the three ways of joining clauses: a coordinating conjunction sits in position 0 and changes nothing; a conjunctional adverb takes position 1 and therefore inverts; a subordinating conjunction sends the conjugated verb to the end. One connector per link is normally enough: after a fronted weil-clause position 1 is already taken, so deshalb cannot be added there.
Five meaning groups: causal (deshalb, deswegen, darum, daher, folglich, also — the consequence), concessive and adversative (trotzdem, dennoch, allerdings, jedoch, stattdessen), additive (außerdem), temporal (dann, danach) and conditional (sonst). Inside the causal group the words are interchangeable; only the register differs.
Both parts are main clauses, so a comma, a semicolon or a full stop separates them; the adverb does not replace the punctuation mark. Two notes: jedoch may also stand in front of the subject without inversion, like aber (…, jedoch er kam nicht); German also means "therefore", not English "also".
Examples
- Der Bus fährt heute nicht, deshalb nehme ich das Fahrrad. — The bus isn't running today, so I'm taking the bike.
- Das Wetter war schlecht, trotzdem sind wir spazieren gegangen. — The weather was bad; we went for a walk anyway.
- Die Wohnung ist teuer, außerdem ist sie zu klein. — The flat is expensive, and on top of that it's too small.
- Zuerst räume ich die Küche auf, danach mache ich die Wäsche. — First I tidy the kitchen, after that I do the laundry.
- Beeil dich, sonst verpassen wir den Zug. — Hurry up, otherwise we'll miss the train.
- Ich habe deine Nachricht gelesen, allerdings hatte ich keine Zeit zu antworten. — I read your message, though I had no time to reply.
- Der Laden war geschlossen, also sind wir ins Café gegangen. — The shop was closed, so we went to the café.
- Wir fahren nicht mit dem Auto, stattdessen nehmen wir den Zug. — We aren't going by car; instead we're taking the train.
- Ich bin erkältet; ich bleibe deshalb heute im Homeoffice. — I have a cold; that's why I'm working from home today.
Quick table
| Group | Adverbs | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| causal | deshalb, deswegen, darum, daher, folglich, also | the consequence of what was said before | Es hat geschneit, deshalb fahren keine Busse. |
| concessive / adversative | trotzdem, dennoch, allerdings, jedoch, stattdessen | contrast, restriction, replacement | Es hat geschneit, trotzdem fahren die Busse. |
| additive | außerdem | one more point on top | Der Zug ist teuer, außerdem ist er langsam. |
| temporal | dann, danach | the next step in a sequence | Ich frühstücke, dann fahre ich ins Büro. |
| conditional | sonst | what happens if the condition is not met | Nimm einen Schirm, sonst wirst du nass. |
| Type | Examples | Position of the connector | Verb position | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| coordinating conjunction | und, aber, oder, denn, sondern | position 0 (does not count) | subject in position 1, verb in position 2 | Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. |
| conjunctional adverb | deshalb, trotzdem, außerdem, dann, sonst | position 1 — or in the middle field | verb in position 2, subject after it | Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. |
| subordinating conjunction | weil, obwohl, wenn, dass | opens the subordinate clause | conjugated verb at the end | Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. |
Common mistakes
- ❌ Ich bin krank, deshalb ich bleibe zu Hause. → ✅ Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. — deshalb fills position 1, so the conjugated verb comes second and the subject after it.
- ❌ Der Zug ist teuer, außerdem er langsam ist. → ✅ Der Zug ist teuer, außerdem ist er langsam. — a conjunctional adverb does not open a subordinate clause, so the verb does not go to the end; that is what obwohl or weil do.
- ❌ Weil ich krank bin, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. → ✅ Weil ich krank bin, bleibe ich zu Hause. — the fronted subordinate clause already fills position 1 and already gives the reason.
- ❌ Ich bleibe zu Hause deshalb. → ✅ Ich bleibe deshalb zu Hause. — inside the clause the connector stands early in the middle field, not at the end.
- ❌ Ich bin krank deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. → ✅ Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. — two main clauses need a comma; a semicolon or a full stop works too.
Related
Practise this group against its two neighbours: the conjunctions that leave the word order untouched and the subordinating conjunctions that send the verb to the end.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it 'deshalb bleibe ich' and not 'deshalb ich bleibe'?
Because deshalb is an adverb that fills position 1. The conjugated verb keeps position 2, so the subject moves behind it. The same happens after trotzdem, außerdem, dann, sonst and the rest of the group.
What is the difference between deshalb and weil, trotzdem and obwohl?
weil and obwohl are subordinating conjunctions: they introduce the reason or the concession and push the conjugated verb to the end of their clause. deshalb and trotzdem are adverbs in a main clause and introduce the consequence or the contrast. What does not work is using both in position 1 of the main clause; in the middle field the adverb may stay: Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir trotzdem spazieren.
Does the connector have to stand at the beginning of the clause?
No. It can also stand early in the middle field, right after the conjugated verb and any pronouns: Ich bleibe deshalb zu Hause. Then the subject keeps position 1 and nothing is inverted. What does not work is putting it at the very end.
Comma, semicolon or full stop before deshalb?
All three are correct, because both parts are complete main clauses: Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. / Ich bin krank. Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. Only leaving out the punctuation mark is wrong.
deshalb, deswegen, darum, daher — is there a difference?
In meaning they are interchangeable. deshalb is the neutral default, deswegen and darum sound more spoken, daher and folglich more formal, and also marks a conclusion. Careful: German also means 'therefore', not English 'also' (= auch).