Breakdown of Falls die Batterie leer ist, funktioniert das Radio nicht.
sein
to be
nicht
not
funktionieren
to work (function)
das Radio
the radio
leer
empty
falls
in case / if (conditional)
die Batterie
the battery
Questions & Answers about Falls die Batterie leer ist, funktioniert das Radio nicht.
What does falls do to the word order in the first part of the sentence?
Because falls is a subordinating conjunction, it kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. That is why ist comes right before the comma in Falls die Batterie leer ist.
Could I use wenn instead of falls here?
Yes, you could say Wenn die Batterie leer ist and it would also be grammatically correct. However, falls is more specific. It translates closer to in case, which often implies that the event is just a possibility, whereas wenn can mean either if or whenever.
Why does the second part start with the verb funktioniert instead of the subject das Radio?
In German, the verb in a main clause must be the second idea in the sentence. The entire first clause (Falls die Batterie leer ist) counts as idea number one. To stay in the second position, the verb funktioniert must come immediately after the comma, swapping places with das Radio.
Why do we use funktioniert to mean works here, rather than arbeitet?
The verb arbeiten means to work in the sense of doing a job or putting in effort, like a human does. When you are talking about a machine, device, or system operating correctly, you have to use funktionieren.
Learn Falls die Batterie leer ist, funktioniert das Radio nicht and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free