Ich warte, bis die Nacht kommt.

I wait until the night comes.

Breakdown of Ich warte, bis die Nacht kommt.

• kommen: to come
• ich: I
• die Nacht: the night
• bis: until
• warten: to wait

Questions & Answers about Ich warte, bis die Nacht kommt.

What is the role of bis in the sentence "Ich warte, bis die Nacht kommt"?

bis is a subordinating conjunction meaning until. It introduces the subordinate clause bis die Nacht kommt, which specifies the endpoint of the action described in the main clause. In other words, it tells you until when the waiting will continue.

Why does the conjugated verb kommt appear at the end of the clause bis die Nacht kommt?

In German subordinate clauses—those introduced by subordinating conjunctions like bis—the finite verb is placed at the very end of the clause. This is a standard rule in German word order. Therefore, kommt (from the verb kommen) is correctly positioned at the end of the clause.

Is it necessary to place a comma before the subordinate clause in this sentence?

Yes, it is necessary. In German punctuation, a comma is required to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause. Hence, the comma before bis die Nacht kommt correctly marks the transition from the main clause to the subordinate clause.

What does the verb warten mean and why is it conjugated as warte in this sentence?

The verb warten means to wait. In this sentence, the subject is Ich (I), so the verb is conjugated in the first-person singular present tense as warte. This is the correct conjugation for ich in present-tense statements.

Can this sentence be rephrased while preserving its meaning, and what should be kept in mind regarding word order?

Yes, you can rephrase the sentence while keeping its meaning intact. For example, you might say "Ich bleibe hier, bis die Nacht kommt" (I stay here until night comes). However, it is important to retain the proper structure: the main clause should be followed by a comma and then the time clause introduced by bis, with the conjugated verb placed at the end of the subordinate clause.