Breakdown of Du bist mutig, wenn du nicht aufgibst.
sein
to be
du
you (informal singular)
nicht
not
wenn
if / when (conditional, not a question word)
Questions & Answers about Du bist mutig, wenn du nicht aufgibst.
Why is the verb aufgibst at the very end of the sentence?
The word wenn (if) is a subordinating conjunction. It kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. Notice how this differs from trotzdem (nevertheless), which you are learning in this lesson: trotzdem acts as a normal adverb in Position 1 and keeps the verb right next to it in Position 2.
I know aufgeben is a separable verb. Why aren't the two parts separated here?
In a normal main clause, you would split it, like this: Du gibst nicht auf. But because wenn forces the verb to the end of the clause, the main verb (gibst) gets pushed right up against its prefix (auf). When they meet at the end of a sentence like this, they reconnect into a single word: aufgibst.
Can wenn mean both "if" and "when"?
Yes, wenn can mean "if" (like in this sentence, introducing a condition) or "when" (for present and future events). Just remember that if you are asking a question about time, you must use wann for "when", never wenn.
Why is nicht placed right before the verb here?
The word nicht likes to sit right before the specific word it is negating. Here, it negates the action of giving up (aufgeben). Because the verb is pushed to the very end of the sentence, nicht simply slides into the spot right in front of it.