Breakdown of Bevor du gehst, wasch dir bitte die Hände.
gehen
to go
du
you
dir
you
bevor
before
bitte
please
waschen
to wash
die Hand
the hand
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Questions & Answers about Bevor du gehst, wasch dir bitte die Hände.
Why is the verb gehst at the end of the clause Bevor du gehst?
In German, subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like bevor (before) send the finite verb to the very end. Thus gehst moves from its usual second-position spot to the clause-final position.
Why is there a comma after gehst?
German grammar requires a comma to separate a subordinate clause from the main clause. Since Bevor du gehst is a subordinate clause, it’s followed by a comma before the main clause.
What is the main clause, and why does it have the verb in second position?
The main clause here is wasch dir bitte die Hände. In German main clauses (Hauptsätze), the finite verb (wasch) must occupy the second position, which is exactly why it appears right before dir.
Could I switch the order to Wasch dir bitte die Hände, bevor du gehst?
Yes. You can start with the main clause and follow with the subordinate clause. The comma stays the same: Wasch dir bitte die Hände, bevor du gehst.
Why is the imperative form wasch used instead of wäscht, and why is du omitted?
For the du‑imperative, you take the present‑tense form du wäschst, drop the ‑st ending, and normally omit du itself. So waschen → du wäschst (present) → wasch! (imperative).
Why do we include dir in wasch dir die Hände?
Because waschen in the idiomatic expression sich die Hände waschen is reflexive. The reflexive pronoun for du in the dative case is dir, which tells us whose hands are being washed.
Why is dir in the dative case instead of accusative?
In the reflexive construction sich die Hände waschen, die Hände is the direct object (accusative), while the person whose hands are washed is marked by a dative reflexive pronoun. Hence dir is dative.
Why is die Hände in the accusative case?
Die Hände is the thing being washed, making it the direct object of the verb. Direct objects in German take the accusative case.
Why use the reflexive construction sich die Hände waschen instead of just saying Wasch deine Hände?
German typically uses reflexive verbs for actions on one’s own body parts. Saying sich die Hände waschen is far more common and idiomatic than deine Hände waschen, even though both are grammatically possible.
Why is bitte placed between the verb and the object?
Bitte (please) can be inserted in various positions for politeness. In du‑imperatives it often appears directly after the verb (wasch dir bitte), though placing it at the beginning (Bitte wasch dir…) is also possible.