Breakdown of Kommt ein Sturm, holen wir das Segel sofort ein.
ein
a, an (eine)
kommen
to come
wir
we
sofort
immediately
der Sturm
the storm
das Segel
the sail
einholen
to bring in
Questions & Answers about Kommt ein Sturm, holen wir das Segel sofort ein.
Why does this sentence start with the verb Kommt instead of using wenn?
This is a conditional clause without wenn (an "if" clause without the word "if"). In German, you can drop wenn and move the conjugated verb to the very first position to create a condition. So, Kommt ein Sturm means exactly the same as Wenn ein Sturm kommt.
Why is the second part holen wir and not wir holen?
The entire first clause (Kommt ein Sturm) acts as Position 1 for the whole sentence. Because the verb must always take Position 2 in a main clause, holen has to come right after the comma, followed by the subject wir.
Where does the ein at the very end of the sentence come from?
It is the prefix of the separable verb einholen (to bring in / to pull in). In the main clause, the conjugated part (holen) takes its normal spot right after the comma, and the prefix (ein) gets kicked to the very end of the sentence.
The English translation says "If a storm comes". Can this also mean "If a storm is coming"?
Yes! German doesn't have a continuous form like the English "is doing" or "is coming". Kommt ein Sturm naturally covers both "If a storm comes" and "If a storm is coming".
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