Explaining "Why" with "weil"
When you want to explain the reason for an action or a situation, you use the conjunction weil (because). It connects your main sentence to a secondary clause that provides the explanation.
Word Order: The Verb at the End
Just like we saw with dass, the word weil introduces a subordinate clause. The golden rule for subordinate clauses applies here too: the conjugated verb must be pushed to the very end of the sentence.
Also, remember that German punctuation strictly requires a comma right before weil.
| He sleeps late because the work is exhausting. | Er schläft lange, weil die Arbeit anstrengend ist. |
Notice in the sentence above how the verb ist sits at the absolute end, rather than in its usual position right after the subject.
| I am buying the sofa because the offer is good. | Ich kaufe das Sofa, weil das Angebot gut ist. |
| We take the bus because gas is too expensive. | Wir nehmen den Bus, weil das Benzin zu teuer ist. |
| He rides a bike because it protects the environment. | Er fährt Rad, weil es die Umwelt schützt. |
Multiple Verbs in a Subordinate Clause
If your reason uses the perfect tense or a modal verb, you will have two verbs in your weil-clause: an infinitive or past participle, plus a conjugated helping verb.
The rule remains exactly the same: the conjugated verb (the one matching the subject, like hat or will) takes the absolute final position, meaning it sits right after the other verb.
| She is crying because she lost the money. | Sie weint, weil sie das Geld verloren hat. |
| He is happy because he passed the exam. | Er ist glücklich, weil er die Prüfung bestanden hat. |
| I am studying because I want to pass the exam. | Ich lerne, weil ich die Prüfung bestehen will. |