Learn Hardcore German: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil mein Schnupfen stark ist.

In German, weil is a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions (like weil, dass, wenn, obwohl) send the conjugated verb to the end of the clause.

Main clause: Mein Schnupfen ist stark. (normal word order: subject – verb – rest)
With weil: …, weil mein Schnupfen stark ist. (verb goes to the end)

So the pattern is:
…, weil + subject + rest + verb.

Could I also say …, denn mein Schnupfen ist stark instead of …, weil mein Schnupfen stark ist?

Yes, you can. The meaning is almost the same (“because my cold is strong”).

weil = “because”, subordinating, verb goes to the end:
- Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil mein Schnupfen stark ist.
denn = “for/because”, coordinating, verb keeps normal main‑clause position:
- Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn mein Schnupfen ist stark.

Differences:

weil is more common in spoken German.
denn sounds a bit more formal or written.
Word order is different, but the cause–effect meaning is similar here.

Why is there a comma before weil?

German grammar requires a comma before subordinate clauses, and weil always starts a subordinate clause.

Pattern:

[Main clause], weil [subordinate clause].
Example: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil mein Schnupfen stark ist.

So the comma marks the boundary between the independent main clause and the dependent weil-clause.

Can I put the weil-clause at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Then the main clause still has the verb in second position:

Weil mein Schnupfen stark ist, bleibe ich zu Hause.

Word order rules:

In the weil-clause: verb at the end (ist).
In the main clause: conjugated verb is in second position (bleibe), even though the clause doesn’t start with the subject (ich).

What’s the difference between zu Hause, nach Hause, and im Haus?

They express different ideas:

zu Hause = at home (location)
- Ich bleibe zu Hause. – I’m staying at home.
nach Hause = (to) home (direction, going home)
- Ich gehe nach Hause. – I’m going home.
im Haus = in the house (inside a particular building)
- Ich bin im Haus. – I am in the house (not outside/on the street).

In the sentence Ich bleibe zu Hause, the point is staying at home, so zu Hause is correct.

Why is Hause capitalized in zu Hause?

Haus is a noun, and all nouns are capitalized in German.
Historically, zu Hause literally meant “at house/home”.

Today:

The usual spelling is zu Hause (two words, capital H).
You may also see zuhause written as one word, especially informally; both spellings are accepted in modern German.

In any case, Hause/Haus must be capitalized because it is a noun.

What does Schnupfen mean exactly, and how is it different from Erkältung or Grippe?

der Schnupfen = a runny/blocked nose, the nasal part of a cold (rhinitis).
- Focus on: sneezing, runny/stuffy nose.
die Erkältung = a (common) cold in general.
- Multiple symptoms: sore throat, cough, mild fever, etc.
die Grippe = flu, usually more serious than a normal cold.

So mein Schnupfen ist stark focuses specifically on how bad the nasal symptoms are, not on the whole illness.

Why is it mein Schnupfen and not just Schnupfen or der Schnupfen?

mein is a possessive pronoun (“my”) and it replaces the definite article:

der Schnupfen = the cold (nasal)
mein Schnupfen = my cold

You use mein here because you’re talking about your own condition.

Other forms would be:

dein Schnupfen – your (informal “you”) cold
sein Schnupfen – his cold
ihr Schnupfen – her/their cold, etc.

Why is the adjective stark used for an illness? Doesn’t stark mean “strong”?

Literally, stark = “strong”, but in German it’s also used to describe high intensity or severity. In the context of symptoms or pain, it translates more like “strong / bad / severe”:

starke Schmerzen – severe pain
starker Husten – bad cough
starker Schnupfen – bad runny nose / a strong cold (nasal)

So mein Schnupfen ist stark means your cold symptoms (especially nasal) are quite bad.

Could I say Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich starken Schnupfen habe? Is that correct, and what’s the difference?

Yes, that is correct German:

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil mein Schnupfen stark ist.
– because my cold is strong (adjective stark with sein)
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich starken Schnupfen habe.
– because I have a strong cold (adjective in front of the noun)

Nuance:

Both mean almost the same.
The first focuses on a state: my cold is strong.
The second uses haben (“to have”) and an adjective before the noun: starken Schnupfen (accusative masculine, after ich habe).

How is the verb bleiben conjugated, and why is it bleibe here?

Bleiben is an irregular verb meaning “to stay, remain”. Present tense:

ich bleibe
du bleibst
er/sie/es bleibt
wir bleiben
ihr bleibt
sie/Sie bleiben

In the sentence, the subject is ich, so the correct form is ich bleibe.

Why is the present tense used (Ich bleibe) instead of a future form like Ich werde zu Hause bleiben?

German uses the present tense much more often than English for future plans, especially when the context makes the future meaning clear.

Ich bleibe zu Hause. – I’m staying at home / I’ll stay at home.
Ich werde zu Hause bleiben. – I will stay at home. (more explicit, sometimes more formal or emphatic)

In everyday speech, Ich bleibe zu Hause is perfectly natural for a plan about later today or tomorrow, especially when a reason is given (weil mein Schnupfen stark ist).