Die Klimaanlage funktioniert erst, nachdem ich den richtigen Knopf gedrückt habe.

The air conditioning works only after I press the correct button.

Breakdown of Die Klimaanlage funktioniert erst, nachdem ich den richtigen Knopf gedrückt habe.

• ich: I
• haben: to have
• funktionieren: to work
• richtig: correct
• erst: only
• nachdem: after
• drücken: to press
• die Klimaanlage: the air conditioning
• der Knopf: the button

Questions & Answers about Die Klimaanlage funktioniert erst, nachdem ich den richtigen Knopf gedrückt habe.

What does erst mean in this sentence and why is it placed before nachdem?

erst here means “only” or “not until.” It emphasizes that the air conditioning works only after a specific action. Placing it before the subordinate clause (introduced by nachdem) highlights that the main clause’s action depends on the completion of that subordinate action.

Why is nachdem used and how does it affect word order?

nachdem is a subordinating conjunction meaning “after.” In German, subordinate clauses introduced by nachdem send the finite verb to the end of the clause. That’s why you see gedrückt habe at the very end.

Why is the verb gedrückt in its past participle form and why does habe come before it?

This subordinate clause uses the Perfekt tense to indicate a completed action. The structure is:

1. Conjunction (nachdem)
2. Subject (ich)
3. Object (den richtigen Knopf)
4. Auxiliary verb (habe)
5. Past participle (gedrückt)

German subordinate clauses put the auxiliary second-to-last and the past participle at the very end.

Why is the article den used before richtigen Knopf?

Knopf is a masculine noun. The verb drücken takes a direct object, so that object is in the accusative case. The masculine accusative singular article is den, and the adjective richtig receives the weak ending -en after a definite article, giving den richtigen Knopf.

Could I use the present tense instead of the perfect in the subordinate clause?

Yes, you could say nachdem ich den richtigen Knopf drücke, using the present tense. However, German speakers often prefer the Perfekt (habe gedrückt) to stress that the action is completed before the main clause action.

Why is there a comma before nachdem?

In German, every subordinate clause must be separated from the main clause by a comma. Since nachdem ich … gedrückt habe is a subordinate clause, it requires a comma at its beginning (which follows the main clause’s last word).

Why does the main clause use the verb funktioniert in second position?

German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule. The structure is:

1. Subject or element of focus (Die Klimaanlage)
2. Finite verb (funktioniert)
3. Remaining elements (erst, nachdem …) This ensures the verb stays in second position.