Breakdown of Der Mann arbeitet nicht, obwohl er gesund ist.
sein
to be
der Mann
the man
er
he
arbeiten
to work
Questions & Answers about Der Mann arbeitet nicht, obwohl er gesund ist.
Why is the verb ist at the very end of the sentence?
The word obwohl (although) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause. In German, these types of clauses always send their conjugated verb (ist) to the very end.
Is the comma before obwohl required?
Yes! In English, we often leave out commas before "although", but in German, you must always use a comma to separate a main clause (Der Mann arbeitet nicht) from a subordinate clause (obwohl er gesund ist).
Could I use aber (but) to express the same idea?
You could say Der Mann arbeitet nicht, aber er ist gesund (The man is not working, but he is healthy). Notice the word order difference: aber is a coordinating conjunction, so it leaves the verb (ist) in its normal second position, whereas obwohl kicks it to the end.
What happens if I start the sentence with the obwohl clause?
If you start with the obwohl clause, it counts as the first "block" of the sentence. The verb of the main clause must come immediately after the comma to stay in the second position: Obwohl er gesund ist, arbeitet der Mann nicht.