Breakdown of Nachdem ich das Kopfkissen gefunden hatte, schlief ich sofort ein.
ich
I
haben
to have
finden
to find
sofort
immediately
nachdem
after
das Kopfkissen
the pillow
einschlafen
to fall asleep
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Nachdem ich das Kopfkissen gefunden hatte, schlief ich sofort ein.
Why does Nachdem send the verb to the end of its clause?
Nachdem is a subordinating conjunction in German. Subordinating conjunctions (like weil, dass, bevor, nachdem etc.) always push the finite verb to the very end of their clause. That’s why you see gefunden hatte at the end rather than immediately after the subject.
Why is the order gefunden hatte and not hatte gefunden at the end of the subordinate clause?
In a pluperfect tense subordinate clause, the finite auxiliary verb (hatte) belongs at the absolute end, and the past participle (gefunden) comes just before it. The rule is: subordinate clause → all non-finite parts first, then the finite verb last.
Why use the pluperfect (hatte gefunden) in the first clause and the simple past (schlief) in the second?
German often uses the pluperfect to show that one past action happened even earlier than another past action. Here, finding the pillow took place before falling asleep. The main action of falling asleep is simply narrated in the simple past (Präteritum). In spoken German you could also say Nachdem ich das Kopfkissen gefunden habe, bin ich sofort eingeschlafen, but in writing this mix of Präteritum and Plusquamperfekt is very natural.
Why is ein separated from schlief in schlief ich … ein?
Einschlafen is a separable verb: in simple tenses the prefix ein detaches and moves to the very end of the clause. So in the main clause you get schlief … ein instead of einschlief.
Why does the main clause start with schlief ich instead of ich schlief?
After a fronted subordinate clause the main clause can begin “fresh,” and you may choose verb-first word order for style or emphasis. Placing schlief first is perfectly grammatical; it simply inverts subject and verb. You could also write Ich schlief sofort ein without changing the meaning.
What case is das Kopfkissen in Nachdem ich das Kopfkissen gefunden hatte, and why?
Das Kopfkissen is in the accusative case because finden takes a direct object. For a neuter noun like Kopfkissen, the article is das in both nominative and accusative.
What’s the difference between nachdem and nach?
Nach is a preposition meaning “after” (e.g. nach dem Essen – after the meal). Nachdem is a conjunction used to introduce a subordinate clause (“after I found…,” “after you arrived…”). You cannot mix them.
Could I use the present perfect in the subordinate clause, for example Nachdem ich das Kopfkissen gefunden habe, schlief ich sofort ein?
Yes, especially in spoken German you often use the present perfect (habe gefunden) even for past events. However, if you choose habe gefunden, you usually also use perfect in the main clause: bin sofort eingeschlafen. Mixing pluperfect with simple past (as in the original) is more common in written narratives.
Where does the adverb sofort normally go, and why is it placed before ein here?
German adverbs of time (like sofort) typically follow the subject or verb, depending on emphasis. In a clause with a separable verb, the detached prefix (ein) must appear at the very end, so sofort slots in just before it: schlief ich sofort ein. You could also say sofort schlief ich ein, but that shifts emphasis onto sofort.