Learn Hardcore German: Statt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt, proben wir draußen im Hof, weil es so warm ist. - Instead of the choir singing in the hall today, we are rehearsing outside in the courtyard because it is so warm.

In German, statt by itself is a preposition and must be followed by a noun(-phrase), a pronoun, or an infinitive construction, not by a full clause with a finite verb.

Correct with a noun:
- Statt des Chores singen wir. – Instead of the choir, we sing.
Correct with an infinitive (same subject):
- Statt im Saal zu singen, proben wir im Hof.

But as soon as you want a full clause with its own subject and a conjugated verb, you need statt dass (or anstatt dass) as a conjunction:

Statt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt, proben wir draußen im Hof.

So statt der Chor … singt is ungrammatical; you must use statt dass before a finite clause.

Can I also say anstatt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt? Is there a difference between statt dass and anstatt dass?

Yes, you can say anstatt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt.

statt and anstatt are very close in meaning.
statt is more common and sounds a bit simpler and more colloquial.
anstatt can sound slightly more formal or literary, but it is not wrong or rare.

In everyday speech and writing, statt dass is usually preferred, but anstatt dass is fully acceptable here with no real change in meaning.

Why is the verb singt at the end of dass der Chor heute im Saal singt?

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

Pattern:

dass
- subject + other elements + conjugated verb

Applied to this sentence:

dass – conjunction
der Chor – subject
heute im Saal – adverbials
singt – conjugated verb at the end

So … dass der Chor heute im Saal singt is the normal word order for a dass-clause.

Why is it proben wir after the comma and not wir proben?

The part Statt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt is a subordinate clause placed before the main clause. When a subordinate clause comes first in German, the entire subordinate clause counts as position 1, so in the main clause you must still respect the verb‑second (V2) rule:

Position 1: the whole subordinate clause
Position 2: the finite verb of the main clause (proben)
Then subject (wir) and the rest

So:

Statt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt, proben wir draußen im Hof.

If you start with the main clause, you would say:

Wir proben draußen im Hof, statt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt.

Both are correct; the V2 rule is what causes proben wir when the subordinate clause comes first.

Why is it im Saal and im Hof and not in den Saal or in den Hof?

Because we are describing location (where something happens), not movement into a place.

In German:

in + dative = location (where?)
in + accusative = direction / movement (where to?)

im is the contraction of in dem (dative, singular, masculine/neuter):

im Saal = in dem Saal (in the hall – location)
im Hof = in dem Hof (in the courtyard – location)

You would only use in den Saal or in den Hof with movement:

Wir gehen in den Saal. – We are going into the hall.
Wir gehen in den Hof. – We are going into the courtyard.

In the given sentence, the activities (singing, rehearsing) are taking place there, so dative (im) is correct.

What is the difference between proben, üben, and singen here?

singen = to sing (the basic action, making music with your voice).
- Der Chor singt im Saal. – The choir is singing in the hall.
üben = to practice something in order to get better (can be for music, sports, exams, etc.).
- Ich übe Klavier. – I practice the piano.
- For a choir, you can also say Wir üben das neue Lied.
proben = to rehearse (typically for performances: plays, concerts, choir, orchestra, etc.).
- Der Chor probt das Konzertprogramm. – The choir is rehearsing the concert program.

In this sentence, proben wir emphasizes that the group is having a rehearsal, not just casually singing.

Why is there a comma before weil, and why does ist go to the end in weil es so warm ist?

Weil is a subordinating conjunction meaning because.

Rules:

Subordinate clauses in German are separated from the main clause by a comma.
Subordinating conjunctions send the conjugated verb to the end of the clause.

So:

Comma: …, proben wir draußen im Hof, weil es so warm ist.
Word order in the weil-clause:
- weil – conjunction
- es – subject
- so warm – predicate adjective
- ist – conjugated verb at the end

Thus: weil es so warm ist.

Could I also start with Weil es so warm ist? What happens to the word order then?

Yes, you can start with Weil es so warm ist to emphasize the reason:

Weil es so warm ist, proben wir draußen im Hof.

Here again:

The entire weil-clause is position 1.
The main clause that follows still needs the verb in position 2:
- proben (verb) – position 2
- wir (subject) – after the verb

So: Weil es so warm ist, proben wir draußen im Hof.

Note: in informal spoken German, you may hear Weil es so warm ist, wir proben draußen im Hof, but that is considered non‑standard in writing; the correct written form keeps proben in second position.

What is the nuance of so warm here? How is it different from sehr warm or ziemlich warm?

All three express degree, but with slightly different flavors:

so warm – often links to a consequence or comparison:
- Emphasis like so warm (that we…)
- Suggests a reason for a decision: Because it’s that warm…
sehr warm – simply very warm, strong degree but neutral in tone.
ziemlich warm – quite / rather warm, less strong than sehr, a bit more moderate.

In weil es so warm ist, so underlines that the warmth is the reason for rehearsing outside; it feels like because it’s so warm (outside) rather than just a dry statement about temperature.

Is it okay that the subject changes from der Chor in the statt dass clause to wir in the main clause?

Yes, that is exactly one of the reasons to use statt dass.

With statt
- infinitive (statt … zu …), the subject of both actions must be the same:
- Statt im Saal zu singen, proben wir im Hof.
  → Here, wir would be the singers in both parts.
With statt dass, you can explicitly introduce a different subject in the subordinate clause:
- Statt dass der Chor heute im Saal singt, proben wir draußen im Hof.
  → The event “the choir sings in the hall” is being replaced by “we rehearse outside”.

So the change of subject (der Chor → wir) is completely correct and typical for statt dass constructions.

Is the position of heute fixed? Could I say statt dass der Chor im Saal heute singt instead?

You can say statt dass der Chor im Saal heute singt, and it is grammatically possible, but it is less neutral and can sound slightly marked or emphasized.

The more natural order is:

dass der Chor heute im Saal singt

Typical word order for adverbials in German is roughly time – manner – place; here heute (time) comes before im Saal (place), which fits that pattern.

Moving heute later (…im Saal heute singt) often adds a subtle emphasis on heute (for example, contrasting today with another day). In everyday, neutral sentences, heute im Saal is the most expected order.

Is draußen im Hof redundant? Doesn’t draußen already mean “outside”?

draußen does mean outside / outdoors, but draußen im Hof is not redundant; it becomes more specific:

draußen – outside, in the open air, not inside a building.
im Hof – specifies where outside: in the courtyard.

So the meaning is: not in the hall inside the building, but outside, in the courtyard area. You could also say:

Wir proben draußen. – We rehearse outside (somewhere).
Wir proben im Hof. – We rehearse in the courtyard (could be open or covered, context‑dependent).
Wir proben draußen im Hof. – Clear image: outside, specifically in the courtyard.

The combination adds clarity and a concrete picture of the location.