Breakdown of Wir spielen entweder draußen oder drinnen, je nachdem, ob es regnet.
es
it
spielen
to play
wir
we
regnen
to rain
Questions & Answers about Wir spielen entweder draußen oder drinnen, je nachdem, ob es regnet.
How exactly does je nachdem, ob work in this sentence?
je nachdem translates to 'depending on'. Because the outcome depends on a yes/no scenario ('Will it rain or not?'), it connects to the rest of the thought using the conjunction ob ('whether').
Could I use wenn instead of ob here?
No, and this is a common trap! While English uses 'if' for both, German uses wenn for conditions ('in the event that it rains') and ob for indirect yes/no questions ('whether or not it rains'). After je nachdem, you are setting up an indirect question, so you must use ob or a question word like wann or wo, never wenn.
Why is the verb regnet at the very end of the sentence?
The word ob is a subordinating conjunction, meaning it starts a dependent clause. In German, dependent clauses always kick the conjugated verb (here, regnet) to the very end of the clause.
How do entweder and oder work together?
entweder ... oder is a two-part conjunction that works exactly like 'either ... or' in English. You place entweder right before your first option (draußen) and oder right before your second option (drinnen).