Breakdown of Kommt das Gewitter, holen wir das Segel ein.
kommen
to come
wir
we
das Segel
the sail
einholen
to bring in
das Gewitter
the thunderstorm
Questions & Answers about Kommt das Gewitter, holen wir das Segel ein.
Why does this sentence start with the verb Kommt instead of a subject or Wenn?
This is a conditional clause without wenn (if). By dropping the word wenn, the conjugated verb (kommt) moves to the very first position. It means the exact same thing as Wenn das Gewitter kommt (If the thunderstorm comes).
Why is the word order holen wir and not wir holen after the comma?
In German, the conjugated verb in a main clause must stay in the second position. The entire 'if' clause (Kommt das Gewitter) acts as block number one. Therefore, the verb holen must immediately follow the comma to take the second position, pushing the subject wir right after it.
Where does the ein at the very end of the sentence come from?
It is the prefix of the separable verb einholen (to take in, to pull in). In a regular main clause, the conjugated part (holen) stays in the second position, while the separable prefix (ein) gets kicked to the very end of the sentence.
Could I put the condition at the end and still drop wenn?
No, dropping wenn to make a verb-first condition only works when the condition is the first half of the sentence. If you swap the order, you must use wenn: Wir holen das Segel ein, wenn das Gewitter kommt.
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