Breakdown of Mein Auto ist kaputt. Deshalb nehme ich den Bus.
ich
I
sein
to be
das Auto
the car
der Bus
the bus
nehmen
to take
mein
my
kaputt
broken
deshalb
therefore / that is why
Questions & Answers about Mein Auto ist kaputt. Deshalb nehme ich den Bus.
Why does the verb nehme come right after deshalb instead of the subject ich?
Deshalb is a connecting adverb that takes up the first position in the sentence. In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must always take the second position. Because deshalb claims position 1, the verb nehme must take position 2, which pushes the subject ich into position 3.
Could I use darum or deswegen instead of deshalb in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Deshalb, darum, and deswegen all mean "therefore" or "that's why." They are completely interchangeable, so saying Darum nehme ich den Bus or Deswegen nehme ich den Bus means exactly the same thing and follows the exact same word order rules.
Can I move deshalb to a different spot in the second sentence?
Yes! If you want to start the sentence with the subject, you can. The verb nehme must stay in the second position, so deshalb simply moves to the middle of the sentence: Ich nehme deshalb den Bus.
Can I combine these two sentences into one using a comma?
You can, but they still act as two independent clauses. It would look like this: Mein Auto ist kaputt, deshalb nehme ich den Bus. Notice that deshalb still acts as the first position of the second half of the sentence, keeping the verb nehme right next to it.
Why is it den Bus and not der Bus?
Because the bus is the direct object in the sentence (it is the thing you are taking). Bus is a masculine noun, and in the accusative case, the masculine "the" changes from der to den.
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