Wenn das Lied beginnt, singe ich leise mit.

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Breakdown of Wenn das Lied beginnt, singe ich leise mit.

• beginnen: to begin
• wenn: when
• leise: quietly

Questions & Answers about Wenn das Lied beginnt, singe ich leise mit.

Why is the finite verb beginnt placed at the end of the wenn-clause?

Subordinating conjunctions like wenn turn the clause into a subordinate clause, and German subordinate clauses require the finite verb to appear in final position. That’s why Wenn das Lied beginnt has beginnt as its last word.

Why does singe appear before the subject ich in the main clause?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule (verb-second). Since the entire wenn-clause counts as the first element (the prefield), the finite verb singe must occupy the second position, and the subject ich comes next.

Why is mit at the end of singe ich leise mit? Isn’t mit a preposition?

Here mit is not a preposition but the separable prefix of the verb mitsingen (“to sing along”). In a main clause, separable-prefix verbs split: the prefix (mit) moves to the end, and the base verb (singen) is conjugated (here as singe) in the verb-second slot.

When do I use wenn instead of als for “when”?