Es regnet, dennoch gehe ich spazieren.

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Breakdown of Es regnet, dennoch gehe ich spazieren.

• es: it
• regnen: to rain
• spazieren gehen: to go for a walk
• dennoch: yet

Questions & Answers about Es regnet, dennoch gehe ich spazieren.

Why is there a comma before dennoch?

In German, when you link two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb (like dennoch, trotzdem, deshalb), you must separate them with a comma. Here, Es regnet and dennoch gehe ich spazieren are both full sentences, so the comma is mandatory.

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What part of speech is dennoch, and how does it affect word order?

dennoch is not a coordinating conjunction (like und or aber), but a conjunctive adverb that expresses contrast (“nevertheless”). When you place dennoch at the beginning of a clause, it counts as the first element, so the finite verb must come second (verb-second rule), causing inversion:

• dennoch (1st position)
• gehe (2nd position)
• ich spazieren

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Why does gehe come before ich in the second clause?

German follows the verb-second (V2) rule in main clauses. Because dennoch occupies the first slot, the finite verb (gehe) moves into the second slot, and the subject (ich) follows it. This inversion is perfectly normal whenever you start a clause with an adverb or any other element besides the subject.

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How is dennoch different from trotzdem, doch, and aber?

While all four can signal contrast, they differ in register and syntax:

• aber: coordinating conjunction, always needs a comma when joining clauses. If used mid-clause, it does not invert word order. (“Es regnet, aber ich gehe spazieren.”)
• doch: can be a coordinating conjunction (“Doch ich gehe spazieren.”) or a modal particle in other contexts. As a conjunction it also triggers inversion when in 1st position.
• trotzdem: like dennoch, a conjunctive adverb. More colloquial than dennoch and slightly less formal. It also requires comma + V2 if it starts a clause.
• dennoch: more formal/written style, always a conjunctive adverb, comma + V2 when fronted.

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Why do we use es in Es regnet?

German needs a dummy subject for many weather verbs. You cannot say “Regnet.” The pronoun es has no referent here; it simply fills the subject slot so that regnet (rains) has something to act upon.

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What is the structure of ich gehe spazieren? Why isn’t there a zu before spazieren?

This is a bare-infinitive construction with gehen plus a second verb:

• ich (subject)
• gehe (finite verb)
• spazieren (bare infinitive)

Verbs of motion (like gehen, fahren or laufen) can be followed directly by another infinitive without zu to express “going/coming to do something.” English has a similar pattern: “I go shopping,” not “I go to shop.”

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Can I say Ich gehe trotzdem spazieren or Ich gehe doch spazieren? Are they interchangeable?

Yes, you can. All three convey “I’m going for a walk despite the rain,” but with slight nuance:

• trotzdem: neutral, common in speech
• doch: can sound more like a spontaneous decision or mild surprise (“Well, I’m going anyway.”)
• dennoch: more formal or written

Word order remains the same: comma + V2 if fronted, or mid-clause without inversion.

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What if I drop dennoch altogether: Es regnet, ich gehe spazieren—is that still correct?

Grammatically it’s fine: you’re simply listing two facts. However, you lose the explicit sense of “nevertheless.” Native speakers would often add a contrast marker (aber, trotzdem, dennoch, doch) to show that the second action is unexpected given the first.