Learn Hardcore German: Ich konnte mich erst anmelden, nachdem ich die Überweisung gemacht hatte. - I could only register after I had made the transfer.

“Erst” limits the time: it means “not until.” So the sentence says: I was not able to register until after I had made the transfer. It does not mean “only” in the sense of quantity; it’s a temporal restriction.

Why is it “mich” and not “mir”?

Because “sich anmelden” is reflexive with an accusative pronoun when you register yourself. Accusative: ich – mich, du – dich, er/sie/es – sich, etc. The dative (mir/dir) is used only if there’s also another accusative object (e.g., Ich wasche mir die Hände). With anmelden, “mich” is the normal form: Ich melde mich an.

Is “anmelden” reflexive, separable, or both?

Both aspects are relevant:

It’s often reflexive when you register yourself: sich anmelden.
It’s a separable-prefix verb: an+melden. In the present: Ich melde mich an. In the perfect: Ich habe mich angemeldet. With a modal: Ich kann/konnte mich anmelden (the infinitive stays together).

Why is “anmelden” at the end after “konnte”?

Modal verbs (können, müssen, dürfen, etc.) send the main verb to the end as a bare infinitive. Because anmelden is separable, it stays together (unsplit) in the infinitive: Ich konnte mich anmelden.

Can I say “Ich konnte erst mich anmelden”?

No. Personal pronouns like “mich” usually come early in the middle field, before most adverbs/particles such as “erst.” The natural order is: konnte + mich + erst + anmelden.

How is “erst” different from “nur” and “zuerst”?

erst = not until/only as late as (time-bound restriction): Ich konnte mich erst nach der Zahlung anmelden.
nur = only (limiting quantity/scope): Ich konnte mich nur anmelden (and do nothing else).
zuerst = first (in a sequence): Ich konnte mich zuerst anmelden (I was first, or it was the first step), which is a different meaning.

Why is there a comma before “nachdem”?

“Nachdem” introduces a subordinate clause. German requires a comma before all subordinate clauses: …, nachdem ich …

Why “gemacht hatte” and not “habe gemacht”?

The “nachdem”-clause refers to an action that happened before another past action. Standard German uses the Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt) for the earlier action: nachdem ich … gemacht hatte. The main clause is in the simple past (konnte). This sequence clearly marks the order of events.

Can I move the “nachdem”-clause to the front?

Yes, that’s very natural for emphasis: Nachdem ich die Überweisung gemacht hatte, konnte ich mich erst anmelden. Note the inversion in the main clause: verb (konnte) comes before the subject (ich).

Is “die Überweisung gemacht” idiomatic, or should I use “überwiesen”?

Both are fine:

… nachdem ich die Überweisung gemacht hatte (common with the collocation “eine Überweisung machen/tätigen”).
… nachdem ich das Geld überwiesen hatte (uses the verb “überweisen,” slightly crisper). Note: “Überweisung” can also mean a medical referral, but the banking context is clear here.

What case and gender is “die Überweisung” here?

Accusative singular, feminine. “Überweisung” is feminine (die). As a direct object of “machen,” it stays “die” in the accusative (feminine accusative = die).

Could I use “bevor” instead of “nachdem”?

No, that would reverse the meaning. “Bevor” = before. Your sentence needs “after.” Using “bevor” would imply you could register before paying, which is the opposite of the intended logic.

Does “konnte” here mean “was able to” or “was allowed to”? Should it be “durfte”?

“Konnte” primarily expresses ability/possibility. If the constraint is a rule/permission, many speakers still use “konnte,” but “durfte” (was allowed to) is more precise for permission: Ich durfte mich erst anmelden, nachdem … Both are commonly heard; choose based on whether you mean ability vs. permission.

How would this look in spoken German with the perfect in the main clause?

Use the double infinitive with the modal: Ich habe mich erst anmelden können, nachdem ich die Überweisung gemacht hatte. If you front the “nachdem”-clause: Nachdem ich die Überweisung gemacht hatte, habe ich mich erst anmelden können.

Can I drop the reflexive pronoun?

Not when you mean “register oneself.” You need it: Ich konnte mich anmelden. Without it, “anmelden” normally takes a different object: Ich meldete meinen Sohn im Kindergarten an (I registered my son).

Why is the order “gemacht hatte” (participle before auxiliary) in the subordinate clause?

In subordinate clauses with a compound tense, the participle/infinitive typically comes before the finite auxiliary at the end: … nachdem ich die Überweisung gemacht hatte. In main clauses it’s the other way around: Ich hatte die Überweisung gemacht.

Where do extra complements go with “sich anmelden”?

Typical complement is a “für + Akk.” phrase: Ich konnte mich erst für den Kurs anmelden, nachdem … The reflexive pronoun still comes early, then adverbs/particles like “erst,” then the infinitive at the end.

Any synonyms for “anmelden”?

registrieren: more formal/technical (web forms, databases).
sich einschreiben: often for courses/university (enroll).
sich anmelden is the most neutral for signing up/registering in many contexts.