Learn Hardcore German: Vermutlich kommt der Techniker später, sofern die Wartung länger dauert. - The technician will probably come later, provided the maintenance takes longer.

sofern introduces a condition meaning “provided that/as long as.” It sounds a bit more formal and emphasizes a prerequisite. wenn is the general everyday “if/when” (sometimes temporal), and falls is “if/in case,” slightly cautious. All three work here; sofern feels more formal.

Why is the verb dauert at the end of sofern die Wartung länger dauert?

Because sofern is a subordinating conjunction, it sends the finite verb to the end of its clause. In a main clause you’d say Die Wartung dauert länger, but after sofern/wenn/falls it’s … länger dauert.

Is the comma before the sofern clause required?

Yes. Subordinate clauses are set off by a comma. If you front the clause—Sofern die Wartung länger dauert, …—you also put a comma after it.

Can I move the sofern clause to the start?

Yes: Sofern die Wartung länger dauert, kommt der Techniker später. Meaning and register stay the same; the main clause still has verb-second word order.

Why is the present tense (kommt) used for a future event?

German often uses the present for the near or planned future when context (like später) makes it clear. Vermutlich kommt der Techniker später and Vermutlich wird der Techniker später kommen are both correct; the future can sound more formal or emphatic.

Where can I place vermutlich?

It’s a sentence adverb; common spots are the start or the midfield: Vermutlich kommt der Techniker später … or Der Techniker kommt vermutlich später …. Ending with … später vermutlich is possible but less natural. Put it in the conditional clause only if the uncertainty targets the condition itself.

Is there a difference between vermutlich, wahrscheinlich, wohl, and angeblich?

vermutlich = presumably/probably (inference-based), neutral.
wahrscheinlich = probably/likely, often a bit stronger than vermutlich.
wohl = “I guess/it seems,” softer and hedge-like; common in speech: Er kommt wohl später.
angeblich = allegedly (reporting others’ claims). Not a synonym here.

Why der Techniker? Which case is it?

It’s the subject of the main clause, so nominative masculine singular: der Techniker. In the conditional clause, die Wartung is the (feminine nominative) subject.

Is Techniker male? How do I make it gender-inclusive?

Grammatically, der Techniker is masculine and can be used generically, but many prefer inclusive forms: die Technikerin (female), paired Technikerin oder Techniker, or forms like Techniker:innen/Techniker*innen depending on style and region.

Should it be später, zu spät, or verspätet?

später = later than previously expected/than now: Er kommt später.
zu spät = too late (after a deadline): Er kommt zu spät.
verspätet = delayed/late (adjective/adverb): Er kommt verspätet. Here, später is the natural choice.

Could I use ankommen instead of kommen?

Yes, if you stress arrival at a location: Der Techniker kommt später an. kommen is more general (“come/turn up”) and is standard when someone comes to you.

Why länger and not mehr lang?

Comparatives are built with -er: lang → länger. mehr lang is unidiomatic. You can say mehr Zeit (“more time”), but not mehr lang.

Is the adverb placement of später correct? Could it go elsewhere?

Yes. Time adverbs like später usually sit after the verb/in the midfield of the main clause: … kommt … später. Because a subordinate clause follows, später must appear before the comma so it clearly belongs to the main clause.

Can I make the condition more tentative, like “should the maintenance take longer”?

Yes: Sofern/Falls die Wartung länger dauern sollte, kommt der Techniker später. sollte softens the condition, making it sound less likely.

Should I use the subjunctive (würde/käme) here?

For real, open conditions, the indicative is normal: … kommt …. Konjunktiv II marks counterfactuals or remote hypotheticals: Wenn die Wartung länger dauern würde, käme der Techniker später.

Is Wartung the only word for maintenance?

Wartung is standard for servicing/scheduled maintenance. Depending on context, you might see Instandhaltung (maintenance broadly), Service (service; common in business and in Austria/Switzerland), or Inspektion (inspection).

How do you pronounce the key words?

vermutlich: /fɛɐ̯ˈmuːtlɪç/
sofern: /zoˈfɛʁn/
Wartung: /ˈvaʁtʊŋ/
Techniker: /ˈtɛçnɪkɐ/
später: /ˈʃpɛːtɐ/
dauert: /ˈdaʊ̯ɐt/