Breakdown of Bevor ich einen Geschäftstermin habe, trinke ich Kaffee.
trinken
to drink
ich
I
haben
to have
der Kaffee
the coffee
bevor
before
der Geschäftstermin
the business appointment
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Questions & Answers about Bevor ich einen Geschäftstermin habe, trinke ich Kaffee.
What does bevor mean in English?
Bevor translates to "before." It is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a clause indicating that one event happens prior to another.
Why is the verb habe placed at the end of the subordinate clause?
In German subordinate clauses, the finite verb is moved to the end. Since bevor introduces a subordinate clause, all verbs within that clause—here, habe—come at the end.
Why is the article einen used with Geschäftstermin instead of ein?
Geschäftstermin is a masculine noun, and in this sentence it functions as the direct object. In the accusative case for masculine nouns, the indefinite article ein changes to einen.
Why does the main clause start with trinke (making it "trinke ich Kaffee") instead of beginning with the subject?
When a subordinate clause precedes the main clause, the entire subordinate clause occupies the first position in the sentence. According to the German V2 (verb-second) rule for main clauses, the finite verb must come next—resulting in an inversion where the subject (ich) follows the verb (trinke).
Why is there a comma after the subordinate clause?
German punctuation rules require that subordinate clauses be separated from the main clause by a comma. This pause helps clarify the sentence structure and distinguishes the two parts.