Learn Hardcore German: Bitte verschieben Sie die Sitzung, wenn nicht alle Dokumente vorhanden sind. - Please postpone the meeting if not all documents are available.

This word order signals a formal imperative in German. For the polite “Sie”‐form, you put the infinitive first (verschieben), then the pronoun (Sie), and finally the object. It literally means “Postpone you the meeting, please.”

Why is there a comma before wenn?

In German, subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like wenn (“if”) must be separated from the main clause by a comma.

Why does the clause wenn nicht alle Dokumente vorhanden sind send the verb sind to the end?

Within a German subordinate clause, the finite verb always moves to the final position. So sind appears at the very end.

Why is die Sitzung used here, and why isn’t it der Sitzung?

Sitzung is a feminine noun. In both the nominative and accusative singular, feminine nouns take die as their article. Since die Sitzung is the direct object of verschieben, it’s in the accusative—but the form die stays the same as the nominative.

What does vorhanden mean in this sentence?

Vorhanden is a predicative adjective meaning “available,” “on hand,” or “present.” Paired with sind, it says “are available.”

What’s the difference between wenn and falls when meaning “if”?

Both can translate as “if,” but wenn is more neutral and used for conditions you assume might occur. Falls often implies you think it’s less likely or more hypothetical. You could say “Bitte verschieben Sie die Sitzung, falls nicht alle Dokumente vorhanden sind”, but wenn is slightly more common here.

Why is the pronoun Sie used instead of du?

Sie is the formal “you,” appropriate in business or polite contexts. If you know someone well or speak informally, you’d use du and adjust the verb: “Bitte verschiebe die Sitzung, wenn nicht alle Dokumente vorhanden sind.”

Can bitte be placed elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. You can say:

Verschieben Sie bitte die Sitzung… (verb first, then bitte)
Bitte verschieben Sie die Sitzung… (bitte at the very start)
Both are equally polite; the emphasis shifts slightly but the meaning stays the same.

Why is it nicht alle Dokumente vorhanden sind instead of alle Dokumente nicht vorhanden sind?

Placing nicht before alle Dokumente negates just “all the documents” (i.e. “not all documents are available,” some could be missing). If you said alle Dokumente nicht vorhanden sind, you’d be negating the whole clause “all documents are not available,” meaning none are present.

Are there other verbs to express “postpone a meeting,” or is verschieben the only option?

You can also use verlegen in a scheduling context: “Bitte verlegen Sie die Sitzung…”. Verschieben is more common for pushing something back, while verlegen often emphasizes rescheduling to a new time. Both are correct here.