To express "do this, otherwise that will happen," German uses the word sonst (otherwise / or else).
Word Order with "sonst"
Sonst connects two ideas to show the consequence of an action. Unlike coordinating conjunctions such as und or aber, sonst is an adverb and takes up the first position in its clause. Following the standard German V2 rule, the conjugated verb must come directly after it, pushing the subject to the third position.
Structure: [First clause], sonst + [Verb] + [Subject] + [Rest of sentence].
Notice how the verb löschen comes directly after sonst, pushing the subject wir to the other side:
| You must log in, otherwise we will delete the data. | Sie müssen sich einloggen, sonst löschen wir die Daten. |
Here is another example. Again, the verb (hat) sits in position two, right after sonst:
| Your password needs ten characters, otherwise the hacker will have access. | Dein Passwort braucht zehn Zeichen, sonst hat der Hacker Zugriff. |
Warnings and Consequences
The sonst structure is perfect for giving warnings. It is often paired with an obligation (using verbs like müssen or dürfen) or a direct command in the first clause, followed by the negative consequence in the second.
| You must not click on the link, otherwise you will get a virus. | Sie dürfen nicht auf den Link klicken, sonst bekommen Sie einen Virus. |
| Do not give him the code, otherwise he will steal your data. | Geben Sie ihm den Code nicht, sonst stiehlt er Ihre Daten. |
Even when sentences get longer and include other structures, the rule remains exactly the same: sonst stays in position one of its clause, and the conjugated verb stays in position two.
| I need the username in order to log in, otherwise the system blocks my account. | Ich brauche den Benutzernamen, um mich einzuloggen, sonst blockiert das System mein Konto. |
