Breakdown of Ich lerne viel, weil die Note wichtig ist.
ich
I
sein
to be
lernen
to learn
viel
much / a lot
wichtig
important
weil
because (subordinating)
die Note
the grade / the mark
Questions & Answers about Ich lerne viel, weil die Note wichtig ist.
Why does the verb ist go at the very end of the sentence?
The word weil (because) is a subordinating conjunction. In German, these words force the conjugated verb in their part of the sentence to move all the way to the end. Instead of saying weil die Note ist wichtig, the verb ist gets pushed to the very last position.
Do I always have to put a comma before weil?
Yes! In English, we often drop the comma before "because", but in German, you must always separate a main clause (Ich lerne viel) from a subordinate clause (the part starting with weil) with a comma.
Why is the word for "grade" Note? Doesn't that mean a musical note?
It can mean a musical note, but in a school context, die Note means your "grade" or "mark" on a test. If you mean "grade" as in your year in school (like 8th grade), you would use die Klasse. (And a written note is die Notiz!).
Could I use denn instead of weil to mean "because" here?
Yes, but the word order would change! Both words mean "because", but weil pushes the verb to the end of the sentence. If you use denn, the verb stays in its normal position: Ich lerne viel, denn die Note ist wichtig.
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