Breakdown of Du behältst das Preisgeld, außer wenn du gegen die Regel verstößt.
du
you (informal singular)
gegen
against
die Regel
the rule
behalten
to retain
das Preisgeld
the prize money
verstoßen
to violate
außer wenn
unless
Questions & Answers about Du behältst das Preisgeld, außer wenn du gegen die Regel verstößt.
Why does the verb verstößt go at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase außer wenn (unless / except if) acts as a subordinating conjunction. Just like a standard wenn or dass, it forces the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause.
Could I use es sei denn instead of außer wenn here?
Yes, es sei denn is a very common alternative for "unless." However, it does not send the verb to the end. If you used it, the word order would be like a normal main clause: ... es sei denn, du verstößt gegen die Regel.
Why do we need the word gegen to say "violate the rule"?
In German, you don't directly "violate a rule." Instead, the verb verstoßen requires the preposition gegen (against) plus the accusative case. You literally offend "against" the rule.
Why do both behältst and verstößt have umlauts here?
Both behalten (to keep) and verstoßen (to violate) are strong verbs that take an umlaut in their present tense du and er/sie/es forms. The stem vowel "a" shifts to "ä", and "o" shifts to "ö".
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