Learn Hardcore German: Wir starten das Projekt erst, nachdem die Behörde ihren Rat gegeben hat. - We will start the project only after the authority has given its advice.

In German, you must separate a main clause from a subordinate clause with a comma. Since nachdem introduces a subordinate clause (“after the authority has given its advice”), you place a comma immediately before nachdem.

Why does gegeben hat appear at the end of the subordinate clause?

Subordinate clauses in German follow “verb-final” word order. When you use a compound tense like Perfekt, both the past participle (gegeben) and its auxiliary verb (hat) move to the very end of the clause.

What is the function of erst in this sentence, and why is it placed there?

erst means “only” or “not until” and marks that the project will start only after a particular event. It sits just before the clause it modifies—in this case right before nachdem—to show that the main action is delayed until that point.

Can I move the subordinate clause to the front? What changes would that cause?

Yes. You can say:
Erst nachdem die Behörde ihren Rat gegeben hat, starten wir das Projekt.
When a subordinate clause begins the sentence, the following main clause must maintain verb-second (V2) word order. That’s why starten still appears immediately after the comma.

Why is the Perfekt tense (gegeben hat) used instead of the Plusquamperfekt (gegeben hatte)?

Traditionally, Plusquamperfekt (gegeben hatte) indicates an action completed before another past event. However, in modern spoken and many written contexts, German speakers often use Perfekt (gegeben hat) for past events, even when they precede other past actions. It sounds more natural in everyday language.

Why is Rat in the accusative case, and why does ihr become ihren?

Rat (“advice”) is the direct object of geben, so it takes the accusative case. The possessive pronoun ihr (their) must agree in gender, number, and case with Rat (masculine, singular, accusative), which changes ihr to ihren.

Could I use anfangen or beginnen instead of starten? Are there any nuances?

Yes. You could say:

Wir fangen das Projekt erst an.
Wir beginnen das Projekt erst.
starten (from English “start”) is common in technical or business contexts. anfangen is more colloquial; beginnen is somewhat more formal or literary.

Why is the present tense used in Wir starten even though the action is in the future?

German often uses the present tense for future events when the context makes the timing clear. Here, “erst, nachdem…” signals that the start is in the future, so the present tense is perfectly acceptable. You could use the future tense (werden starten), but it’s not necessary and can sound overly formal.