Breakdown of Solange du den Abwasch machst, klappt alles.
du
you (informal singular)
machen
to make, to do
alles
everything
solange
as long as
Questions & Answers about Solange du den Abwasch machst, klappt alles.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb klappt?
Because the first part of the sentence (Solange du den Abwasch machst) is a subordinate clause that takes up the entire first position of the main sentence. In German, the main verb must always be in the second position. So, the verb klappt immediately follows the comma to stay in that second spot.
How does solange affect the word order in the first clause?
Solange is a subordinating conjunction, which means it kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. That is why machst is placed at the very end of the phrase Solange du den Abwasch machst.
What does the verb klappen mean here?
Klappen is a very common verb in German that means to work out, to go smoothly, or to succeed. So klappt alles translates perfectly to everything works out or everything goes well.
Why is it den Abwasch and not der Abwasch?
Abwasch (the washing up) is a masculine noun. In this sentence, it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb machst, so it must take the accusative case, which changes der to den.