Learn Hardcore German: Verpasst du die Abgabe, musst du eine Nachfrist bei der Dozentin beantragen. - If you miss the submission, you have to request an extension from the lecturer.

With a conjunction:
- Wenn du die Abgabe verpasst, musst du eine Nachfrist … beantragen.
  (wenn = if/when)
With verb-first word order in the first clause, separated by a comma:
- Verpasst du die Abgabe, musst du eine Nachfrist … beantragen.

In option 2, the verb comes first in the first clause (Verpasst du …). This marks the clause as conditional, so German doesn’t need wenn or falls here.

Meaning-wise, Verpasst du die Abgabe, … ≈ Wenn du die Abgabe verpasst, … (If you miss the deadline, …). It’s simply a more concise, slightly more formal or written-style option, similar to English:

Miss the deadline, and you’ll have to apply for an extension.

Why does the sentence start with Verpasst du instead of Du verpasst?

Verpasst du die Abgabe has verb–subject order, like an ordinary yes/no question in German:

Verpasst du die Abgabe? – Are you going to miss the deadline?

But here, it’s not a question. It’s the first part of a conditional sentence. German uses this question-like word order (verb first) to signal a condition without using wenn.

If you used Du verpasst die Abgabe, musst du …, that would be wrong: a main clause usually needs verb in second position, and starting with Du would then require verpasst in second position, but that would no longer clearly mark it as a conditional without wenn. So the conditional style here requires:

Verpasst du die Abgabe, musst du … (verb first in the conditional clause)
Followed by a normal main clause with verb in second position: musst du eine Nachfrist … beantragen.

Could I also say Wenn du die Abgabe verpasst, musst du …? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can absolutely say:

Wenn du die Abgabe verpasst, musst du eine Nachfrist bei der Dozentin beantragen.

This is completely correct and very common.

Difference in feel:

Wenn du die Abgabe verpasst, … – very standard, neutral spoken and written German.
Verpasst du die Abgabe, … – a bit more concise and often seen in written language (instructions, regulations, formal texts), but also possible in speech.

The meaning is the same: both express a real, likely condition (“if you miss the deadline …”), not a hypothetical/unreal one.

What exactly does die Abgabe mean here?

Die Abgabe comes from the verb abgeben (to hand in, submit).
In a university / school context, die Abgabe typically means:

the submission (of your assignment, report, essay, etc.)
sometimes also the submission deadline, depending on context.

In this sentence, die Abgabe is best understood as “the deadline / the submission of your work”.

Grammar:

die Abgabe – feminine noun (singular)
Case here: accusative (direct object of verpasst):

Verpasst du die Abgabe … – Do you miss the submission/deadline …

What does Nachfrist mean, and how is it different from just saying “extra time” or Verlängerung?

Die Nachfrist is a compound:

Nach- = after / post-
die Frist = deadline, time limit

So Nachfrist literally means something like “subsequent deadline / grace period”.

Typical usage:

eine Nachfrist beantragen – to request a grace period, extension, or extra deadline after the original one has passed or is about to pass.

Difference in nuance:

Nachfrist is often used in formal / legal / administrative language (university rules, contracts, payment reminders).
Verlängerung is a general “extension” (of a contract, of a visa, of a subscription, etc.), not specifically tied to a “frst” (deadline).
In English, you’d most often translate Nachfrist here as “extension (of the deadline)” or “grace period”, not literally “after-deadline”.

Grammar:

die Nachfrist – feminine noun
Here: eine Nachfrist (accusative singular, direct object of beantragen).

Why do we say bei der Dozentin and not bei die Dozentin or von der Dozentin?

Preposition + case:
The preposition bei always takes the dative case in German.
Feminine article in the dative singular: der.
So:
- Nominative: die Dozentin (the lecturer)
- Dative: bei der Dozentin (at/with the lecturer)
Bei die Dozentin would be grammatically wrong because bei cannot take accusative.
Meaning of bei here:
- bei jemandem etwas beantragen = to submit/apply for something with / through / at someone (an authority, office, person in charge).
- So eine Nachfrist bei der Dozentin beantragen ≈ to request an extension from/through your lecturer.
Why not von der Dozentin?
- von = from / by (origin, possession, agent).
- eine Nachfrist von der Dozentin would emphasize that the extension comes from her (she grants it), but the fixed phrase for applying is bei jemandem beantragen.

Why Dozentin and not Dozent? What does the -in ending mean?

German marks grammatical gender in nouns. For many professions:

der Dozent = male lecturer
die Dozentin = female lecturer

The ending -in (often with plural -innen) is the standard way to form female versions of many job titles:

der Lehrer → die Lehrerin (male/female teacher)
der Student → die Studentin (male/female student)

So in this sentence, die Dozentin explicitly refers to a female lecturer / instructor.

Grammar details:

Nominative singular: die Dozentin
Dative singular: der Dozentin → bei der Dozentin

Why is it musst du eine Nachfrist … beantragen and not du musst?

In the second part:

musst du eine Nachfrist bei der Dozentin beantragen

the verb comes first because the entire first clause (Verpasst du die Abgabe) is in the first position of the overall sentence. In German main clauses:

The finite verb must be in second position (the so‑called V2 rule).
“Position 1” can be taken by any one element (subject, time phrase, whole clause, etc.)
So the first clause counts as position 1, and the finite verb of the main clause (musst) must come immediately afterwards (position 2).

Structure:

[Verpasst du die Abgabe], → whole conditional clause = position 1
musst → finite verb of the main clause = position 2
du eine Nachfrist bei der Dozentin beantragen. → rest of the main clause

If you started the sentence directly with the main clause, you could say:

Du musst eine Nachfrist bei der Dozentin beantragen. (Here, du is in position 1 and musst in position 2.)

What cases do die Abgabe and eine Nachfrist have in this sentence?

die Abgabe
- Verb: verpassen (to miss)
- Was verpasst du? – die Abgabe → direct object → accusative
- Article is the same in nominative and accusative for feminine singular, so it stays die.
eine Nachfrist
- Verb: beantragen (to apply for / request)
- Was musst du beantragen? – eine Nachfrist → direct object → accusative
- Indefinite article feminine accusative singular is eine.

bei der Dozentin is dative, because bei always requires dative.

Why is the present tense used for something that seems to be about the future?

German uses the present tense very frequently to refer to future events, especially when:

The future time is clear from context, or
There is a conditional relationship like this.

So:

Verpasst du die Abgabe, musst du … beantragen.

is naturally understood as:

If you *(will) miss the deadline, you will have to apply for an extension.*

Using the future tense with werden is possible but less common and often sounds heavier:

Wirst du die Abgabe verpassen, wirst du eine Nachfrist … beantragen müssen. (grammatically okay, but stylistically awkward in everyday use)

So the simple present is the normal, idiomatic choice here.