Shortened Subordinate Clauses (Ellipses)
In formal or professional contexts—like strict hygiene regulations—German often uses concise, shortened subordinate clauses (verkürzte Nebensätze).
If the subject of a subordinate clause is exactly the same as the subject of the main clause, you can omit the subject and the verb (usually a form of sein or werden). This leaves just the conjunction and the core adjective or participle. The shortened clause typically sits at the beginning of the sentence, immediately followed by the conjugated verb of the main clause.
This structure works seamlessly with other conjunctions too, such as sobald (as soon as) and obwohl (although).
Fixed phrases like wenn möglich (if possible) are also built this way, and are so common that they are used even when the subject doesn't perfectly match the main clause.
Explaining Methods with "dadurch, dass"
To explain how a rule is followed or a goal is achieved, English often uses "by" followed by an "-ing" verb (e.g., "by disinfecting"). German expresses this with a two-part structure: a main clause containing dadurch (thereby), followed by a subordinate clause starting with dass (that).
Arranging the Details (TeKaMoLo)
When a German sentence contains multiple adverbs or prepositional phrases, they follow a standard order in the middle of the sentence known as TeKaMoLo:
- Temporal (Time: When?)
- Kausal (Cause: Why?)
- Modal (Manner: How?)
- Lokal (Place: Where?)
Notice how perfectly the details align in this sequence, moving from time to cause, then manner, and finally place: