Wenn es regnet, ändert sich unser Plan.

If it rains, our plan changes.

Breakdown of Wenn es regnet, ändert sich unser Plan.

• es: it
• unser: our
• regnen: to rain
• der Plan: the plan
• wenn: if
• sich ändern: to change

Questions & Answers about Wenn es regnet, ändert sich unser Plan.

Why do we need es in Wenn es regnet?

German always requires an explicit subject in every clause. Weather verbs like regnen have no “real” subject, so you fill that slot with the dummy pronoun es (“it”). In English you say “when it rains,” but you can’t drop es in German – Wenn regnet would be ungrammatical.

Why is the verb regnet placed at the end of the clause Wenn es regnet?

Because Wenn es regnet is a subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction wenn. German subordinate clauses follow verb‑final word order, so the finite verb regnet moves to the very end.

Could I use falls instead of wenn here?

Yes. Both translate to “if/in case.” The nuance is:

• wenn → general or repeated conditions (“whenever/when”)
• falls → more hypothetical or formal (“in case”)
  You could say Falls es regnet, ändert sich unser Plan with almost the same meaning, though it feels slightly more cautious.

Why is there a comma after Wenn es regnet?

German orthography requires a comma to separate a subordinate clause from the main clause. Since Wenn es regnet is subordinate, you must place a comma before starting the main clause.

Why does the main clause start with ändert instead of unser Plan?

In German main clauses you normally have verb‑second (V2) order, but you can choose any element to occupy the first position. Here the speaker has picked the verb itself as the first element (verb‑first inversion). That gives you:

1. Verb in position 1: Ändert
2. Reflexive pronoun: sich
3. Subject: unser Plan
   You could also front the subject and say Unser Plan ändert sich (subject‑first, verb‑second).

What is the function of sich in ändert sich unser Plan?

sich is the reflexive pronoun for third‑person singular. The verb sich ändern means “to change” (intransitive). The reflexive tells us that the subject (unser Plan) is undergoing the change itself: literally “our plan changes itself,” but we translate simply “our plan changes.”

Why is unser Plan in the nominative case?

Because it is the subject of the main clause’s verb ändert. Subjects in German always take the nominative case, so unser Plan (masculine singular) correctly shows the nominative form of the possessive unser.

Could I reorder the main clause as Wenn es regnet, unser Plan ändert sich?

Yes – that’s also correct. Here you’ve chosen the subject (unser Plan) as the first element, which forces the verb into second position:
• Unser Plan (position 1)
• ändert (position 2)
• sich (position 3)

How do you pronounce the ä in ändert, and the g in regnet?

• ä in ändert is like the vowel in English bed, but held longer: [ɛːndʁət].
• g in regnet is pronounced [k], so regnet sounds like [ˈʁeːknət].