Word
Wenn wir im Labor sind, prüfen wir das Wasser.
Meaning
When we are in the laboratory, we test the water.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Wenn wir im Labor sind, prüfen wir das Wasser.
sein
to be
das Wasser
the water
wir
we
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
Questions & Answers about Wenn wir im Labor sind, prüfen wir das Wasser.
Why does the verb sind come at the very end of the first part?
Wenn is a subordinating conjunction, which means it kicks the conjugated verb to the end of its clause. This is the exact same word order rule you are practicing with ob in this lesson!
Since this lesson is about ob (if/whether), could I use ob instead of wenn here?
No, because their meanings are different. Ob is used for indirect yes/no questions (like "I don't know if/whether we are in the lab"). Wenn is used for conditions or time ("If/Whenever we are in the lab"). Both words push the verb to the end, but they don't mean the same thing.
Why does the second half say prüfen wir instead of wir prüfen?
In German, the verb in a main clause must take the second position. The entire first clause (Wenn wir im Labor sind) counts as block number one. To keep the verb in position two, prüfen must come right after the comma, followed by the subject wir.
Why is it im Labor and not just in Labor or in das Labor?