Questions & Answers about Ich bin krank, also bleibe ich zu Hause.
The lesson is about Position-0 conjunctions. Why is the verb bleibe right after also instead of the subject ich?
Because also is a tricky word! While words like und, oder, aber, and denn take Position 0 and don't affect the word order, also is an adverb. It takes up Position 1 in the second clause. In German main clauses, the verb must always be in Position 2. So bleibe comes next, pushing the subject ich into Position 3.
Could I use denn here instead of also?
You could use denn (because), but you would have to flip the two halves of the sentence! denn is a true Position-0 conjunction. You would say: Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. (I am staying at home, because I am ill.)
If I start the second part with ich, where does also go?
If you put the subject ich in Position 1, the verb bleibe must still take Position 2. You can then put also right after it: , ich bleibe also zu Hause. This is perfectly normal and means exactly the same thing.
Why does zu Hause mean 'at home'? Doesn't zu usually mean 'to'?
Normally, yes! But zu Hause is a fixed exception that you just have to memorize for being 'at' home. If you actually want to say you are going 'to' your house, you use another fixed phrase: nach Hause.