First and Then
When giving step-by-step instructions or telling a story, sequential adverbs help connect your sentences in a logical order. You will usually start with zuerst (first) and follow up with dann (then).
Because German is a "Verb-Second" language, starting a sentence with a sequence adverb pushes the subject to the other side of the verb. The conjugated verb must stay firmly in the second position.
| First I wash the tomato. | Zuerst wasche ich die Tomate. |
| Then we cut the tomato and the cheese. | Dann schneiden wir die Tomate und den Käse. |
After That
To continue your sequence, use the adverb danach (after that). The verb-second rule continues to apply, so the verb immediately follows danach.
| After that we fry the egg with oil in the pan. | Danach braten wir das Ei mit Öl in der Pfanne. |
Finally and Lastly
To bring your instructions or story to a close, use schließlich (finally) or zuletzt (lastly). These words are largely interchangeable when wrapping up a sequence of events.
| Finally we eat together. | Schließlich essen wir zusammen. |
| Lastly I wash the plate and the cup. | Zuletzt wasche ich den Teller und die Tasse. |
Telling a Complete Story
These sequence words work perfectly together to describe daily routines, past memories, or any chain of events in order.
| First the man showers. | Zuerst duscht der Mann. |
| After that he puts on the shirt and the trousers. | Danach zieht er das Hemd und die Hose an. |
| Finally he drinks a coffee. | Schließlich trinkt er einen Kaffee. |
Flexible Word Order
While sequence adverbs often sit at the very beginning of the sentence to emphasize the order of events, they do not have to. When giving a formal command, for example, the verb must be the first word. In this case, the sequence adverb simply moves later in the sentence.
| Please cut the meat first! | Schneiden Sie bitte zuerst das Fleisch! |
