The conjunction "sobald"
When you want to express that one action happens immediately after another, use the conjunction sobald (as soon as).
| as soon as | sobald |
Like many time conjunctions in German, sobald is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and pushes the conjugated verb all the way to the end of that clause.
| I often order as soon as the online shop has an offer. | Ich bestelle oft, sobald der Onlineshop ein Angebot hat. |
If the subordinate clause is in the perfect tense, it is the helping verb (like hat or ist) that gets pushed to the absolute end, right after the past participle.
| The email comes as soon as the online shop has shipped the package. | Die E-Mail kommt, sobald der Onlineshop das Paket versendet hat. |
Tracking your delivery
Waiting for an online order is a classic time to use sobald. You can use it to talk about tracking shipments, receiving status updates, and waiting for the postman to ring.
| You can track the package as soon as you have the tracking number. | Du kannst das Paket verfolgen, sobald du die Sendungsnummer hast. |
| We send you an email as soon as the status updates. | Wir schicken dir eine E-Mail, sobald sich der Status aktualisiert. |
| I run to the front door as soon as the postman rings. | Ich laufe zur Haustür, sobald der Postbote klingelt. |
Giving instructions with "sobald"
You will often see sobald paired with a command. The main clause uses the imperative to tell someone what to do, while the sobald clause tells them exactly when to do it. The verb order rules remain exactly the same.
| Call me as soon as the postman gives you the shipment! | Rufen Sie mich an, sobald der Postbote Ihnen die Sendung gibt! |
| Check the status as soon as you get the tracking number! | Prüft den Status, sobald ihr die Sendungsnummer bekommt! |
