Breakdown of Wir üben, bevor das Stück anfängt.
wir
we
anfangen
to start
üben
to practice
bevor
before
das Stück
the play
Questions & Answers about Wir üben, bevor das Stück anfängt.
Why is the verb anfängt at the very end of the sentence?
The word bevor (before) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (anfängt) to move to the very end of that clause.
anfangen (to begin) is a separable verb. Why isn't it split into fängt ... an in this sentence?
Normally, it does separate (like in Das Stück fängt an). However, when a word like bevor pushes a separable verb to the end of the sentence, the prefix and the verb are forced back together into a single word (anfängt).
I learned that das Stück means 'the piece'. Why is it translated as 'the play' here?
While das Stück literally means 'the piece' (like a piece of cake), it is frequently used in arts and entertainment as a shortened version of das Theaterstück (the theatrical play) or a musical piece.
Do I always need a comma before bevor?
Yes! Unlike in English, German punctuation rules strictly require a comma to separate the main clause (Wir üben) from a subordinate clause (the part starting with bevor).
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