Breakdown of Wir erwarten, dass du pünktlich kommst.
du
you (informal singular)
kommen
to come
wir
we
pünktlich
on time / punctual
dass
that
erwarten
to expect
Questions & Answers about Wir erwarten, dass du pünktlich kommst.
Why isn't there a da-compound like darauf before the comma?
In German, you only use a da-compound to anticipate a dass-clause if the main verb requires a preposition (like warten auf, which becomes darauf). The verb erwarten (to expect) takes a direct object, not a preposition. Since there is no preposition to combine with da-, you do not use a da-compound here. The dass-clause itself simply acts as the direct object of the verb.
Why does the German sentence use a dass clause instead of an infinitive like the English 'expect you to come'?
English often uses the structure 'expect someone to do something'. German does not use this infinitive structure with erwarten. Instead, you have to spell it out with a full subordinate clause: We expect that you come on time (Wir erwarten, dass du pünktlich kommst).
Why is kommst at the very end of the sentence?
The word dass (that) is a subordinating conjunction. It kicks the conjugated verb in its clause (kommst) all the way to the end of the sentence.
Is erwarten related to the verb warten?
Yes! The base verb warten means to wait, and adding the inseparable prefix er- creates erwarten, meaning to expect. Notice that while warten requires the preposition auf (to wait for), erwarten takes a direct object without any preposition.
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