Learn Hardcore German: Ich esse Brot, dann trinke ich Wasser.

German allows you to join two main clauses without a coordinating conjunction by placing a comma between them. This differs from English, which usually needs a conjunction (or a semicolon). You could also use a period, but the comma keeps the actions closely connected in one flowing sentence.

Could I say Ich esse Brot und trinke Wasser instead?

Yes. Ich esse Brot und trinke Wasser means “I eat bread and drink water,” linking the actions neutrally with und. Using dann with a comma (Ich esse Brot, dann trinke ich Wasser) highlights the sequence more clearly—first one action, then the next.

Why is ich repeated in the second clause?

When two main clauses are separated by a comma (without und), each clause needs its own subject. Only with a conjunction like und can you drop the repeated subject:
Ich esse Brot und trinke Wasser.
But Ich esse Brot, dann trinke ich Wasser treats each clause as independent, so ich must appear again.

Why is dann placed at the beginning of the second clause?

German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: one element (topic, adverb, etc.) can come first, then the finite verb, then the subject. By fronting dann (“then”), you emphasize the temporal sequence. The clause reads Dann trinke ich Wasser. If you left ich first, you’d say Ich trinke dann Wasser, which is also correct but less focused on the timing.

Why does the verb trinke come right after dann instead of at the end of the clause?

In German main clauses, the finite verb always occupies the second position, whatever the first element is. Since dann is first, trinke must follow immediately, then the subject ich, and then the object Wasser.

Why is there no article before Brot and Wasser?

Both Brot and Wasser are uncountable (mass) nouns when referring to the substance in general. German typically omits the article in such cases:
Ich trinke Wasser.
If you want to specify an item or amount, you add an article or measure word (e.g. ein Brot for a loaf of bread, ein Glas Wasser for a glass of water).

What grammatical case are Brot and Wasser in this sentence?

They are direct objects of esse and trinke, so they take the accusative case. With neuter mass nouns and no article, the accusative form looks identical to the nominative: Brot, Wasser.

What’s the difference between dann and danach, and why isn’t it spelled dannach?

Dann is a simple temporal adverb meaning “then,” used to link actions in sequence. Danach (one n) also means “after that” or “afterwards,” often slightly more formal. The correct spelling is danach; there is no standard German word dannach. You could say Ich esse Brot, danach trinke ich Wasser, which conveys essentially the same sequence.