Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

I hope that I pass the Abitur.

Breakdown of Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

• ich: I
• dass: that
• hoffen: to hope
• bestehen: to pass
• das Abitur: the high school graduation

Questions & Answers about Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

Why is there a comma before dass?

In German, a dass-clause is a subordinate clause (Nebensatz). Subordinate clauses are always separated from the main clause by a comma.

• Main clause: Ich hoffe, …
• Subordinate clause: dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

So the comma marks the beginning of the subordinate clause introduced by dass.

Why does the verb bestehe go to the end of the clause?

In a subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction like dass, the conjugated verb goes to the very end of the clause.

Word order pattern:

• dass + subject + objects/other elements + conjugated verb

So:

• dass – conjunction
• ich – subject
• das Abitur – object
• bestehe – conjugated verb → goes to the end

Hence: … dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

Why is it dass with double s, not das with one s?

Dass and das are different words:

• dass (with double s) is a conjunction meaning that (introducing a clause):

  • Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe. → I hope that I pass the Abitur.

• das (with one s) is usually:

  • the neuter definite article: das Abitur (the Abitur), or
  • a relative / demonstrative pronoun: das, was … (that which …).

In your sentence, dass introduces a whole clause (that I pass the Abitur), so it must be dass.

Why is it das Abitur and not something like den Abitur?

Abitur is a neuter noun in German: das Abitur.

In the sentence, das Abitur is the direct object of the verb bestehen (to pass something). Direct objects take the accusative case. For neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative forms of the article are both das:

• Nominative neuter: das Abitur
• Accusative neuter: das Abitur

So das is correct in both subject and object positions for neuter nouns, which is why you see das Abitur here.

What exactly does das Abitur bestehen mean?

The verb bestehen in this context means to pass (an exam).

• das Abitur is the final school-leaving examination in Germany (roughly comparable to A-levels in the UK or a high school diploma + college entrance exams in some other systems).

So das Abitur bestehen means to pass the Abitur exam(s) successfully.

Why is the verb bestehe and not bestehen?

Bestehen is the infinitive (dictionary form): bestehen = to pass.

In the sentence, the subject of the subordinate clause is ich (I), so you must conjugate the verb:

• ich bestehe
• du bestehst
• er/sie/es besteht
• wir bestehen
• ihr besteht
• sie/Sie bestehen

Because the subject is ich, you use bestehe:
dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

Is bestehe here a subjunctive form because of “hope”?

No. Here bestehe is indicative present tense, not subjunctive.

• Indicative: dass ich das Abitur bestehe. → that I (will) pass the Abitur.
• Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) would be bestünde, but you would not normally use that after hoffen.

German does not automatically switch to subjunctive just because you express hope, like some other languages might. The normal, neutral choice is the present indicative: ich bestehe.

Could I also say Ich hoffe, ich bestehe das Abitur without dass?

Yes, in spoken and informal German, people often drop dass and use a second main clause with normal verb-second (V2) order:

• Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe. (standard, more formal)
• Ich hoffe, ich bestehe das Abitur. (very common in speech, informal writing)

Both are correct and mean the same thing. In formal writing, the version with dass is usually preferred.

Can I say Ich hoffe, das Abitur zu bestehen instead of using dass?

You can say Ich hoffe, das Abitur zu bestehen, and it is grammatically correct, but:

• With hoffen, the dass-clause is more common and sounds more natural in everyday language:

  • Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe.

• The zu + infinitive construction (das Abitur zu bestehen) is a bit more compact and can sound slightly more formal or written, especially in longer or more complex sentences.

So you will hear and see both, but learners are usually safest and most natural with hoffen, dass ….

Could I say Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehen werde?

Yes, Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehen werde is grammatically correct. It uses the future tense:

• werde bestehen = will pass

However, German often uses the present tense to talk about the future when the context is clear:

• Ich hoffe, dass ich das Abitur bestehe.
  → already naturally means I hope that I will pass the Abitur.

So werde bestehen is possible but not necessary; many native speakers would just use bestehe here.

Why is Abitur capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized.

Abitur is a noun (the name of an exam/qualification), so it must be written with a capital A:

• das Abitur ✅
• das abitur ❌