Breakdown of Die Kosten sinken, wenn wir Energie sparen.
wir
we
wenn
when
sparen
to save
die Energie
the energy
Questions & Answers about Die Kosten sinken, wenn wir Energie sparen.
Why is there a comma before wenn?
In German, every subordinate clause is set off by a comma. Wenn introduces a subordinate clause, so you must write ..., wenn ... with a comma.
Why is sparen at the end of wenn wir Energie sparen?
Because in subordinate clauses introduced by wenn, the conjugated verb goes to the end. This is the standard verb-final word order for subordinate clauses.
Can I start the sentence with the wenn-clause?
Yes. Wenn wir Energie sparen, sinken die Kosten. When you front the subordinate clause, the following main clause keeps verb-second order, so the verb sinken comes right after the comma.
Does wenn mean “if” or “when” here?
It can mean either “if” (conditional) or “when(ever)” (repeated/habitual). Context decides. For a purely hypothetical condition, falls is also possible; for a one-time past event, use als.
Why sinken and not senken?