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Wenn der Biomüll zu lange in der Küche steht, stinkt er, deshalb bringe ich ihn jeden Abend raus.

Wenn der Biomüll zu lange in der Küche steht, stinkt er, deshalb bringe ich ihn jeden Abend raus.
If the organic waste stays in the kitchen too long, it stinks, so I take it out every evening.
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Questions & Answers about Wenn der Biomüll zu lange in der Küche steht, stinkt er, deshalb bringe ich ihn jeden Abend raus.

Why does the sentence start with Wenn ..., and why is there a comma after that part?

Wenn introduces a subordinate (dependent) clause. Subordinate clauses in German are separated from the main clause by a comma, so:

  • Wenn der Biomüll zu lange in der Küche steht, = subordinate clause
  • stinkt er, ... = main clause
    That comma is mandatory.
Why is it steht at the end of the Wenn-clause?

In German subordinate clauses (introduced by words like wenn, weil, dass, obwohl), the conjugated verb typically goes to the end.
So you get: ... in der Küche steht (not steht ... in der Küche).

Why is the word order stinkt er and not er stinkt?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the conjugated verb is in position 2.
When the sentence begins with a subordinate clause, that whole clause takes up position 1 of the main clause, so the main clause begins with the verb:

  • Position 1: Wenn ... steht,
  • Position 2 (verb): stinkt
  • Then the subject: er
What does der Biomüll mean grammatically—why der?

Biomüll is masculine in German, so it takes:

  • der Biomüll (nominative masculine)
    That’s why later the pronouns are masculine too: er / ihn.
Why is it stinkt er (with er)—what does er refer to?
er refers back to der Biomüll. Since Biomüll is masculine (der), the correct subject pronoun is er.
Why is it bringe ich ihn ...—what is ihn referring to, and why accusative?

ihn also refers to der Biomüll, but now it’s the direct object of bringen (to bring something).
Direct objects are usually accusative, so masculine der becomes:

  • nominative: er / der Biomüll
  • accusative: ihn / den Biomüll
Why is raus at the very end?

rausbringen is a separable verb (raus- + bringen). In a main clause, the prefix goes to the end:

  • ich bringe (verb stem) ihn ... raus (separable prefix)
Is rausbringen different from hinausbringen?

They’re very similar.

  • rausbringen is more informal/colloquial (very common in speech).
  • hinausbringen is more neutral/formal and slightly more explicit about “to the outside.”
    In everyday German, rausbringen fits perfectly here.
Why does it say zu lange and not just lange?

zu adds the idea of “too”:

  • lange = for a long time
  • zu lange = for too long (longer than is good/acceptable)
Why is steht used—trash doesn’t “stand” in English?

German often uses stehen for things being placed/stored somewhere in an upright container or just “sitting there” in a location. For example:

  • Der Müll steht in der Küche. = the trash is sitting/standing in the kitchen (i.e., it’s there)
What’s going on with deshalb—is it a conjunction like because?

deshalb is an adverb meaning therefore / that’s why, not a subordinating conjunction.
So it introduces a result clause that is still a main clause (with normal main-clause word order):

  • ..., deshalb bringe ich ihn ... raus.
Is the comma before deshalb correct? Could it be a period instead?

Many German writers would prefer a stronger break:

  • ..., stinkt er. Deshalb bringe ich ihn ... raus. (very common)
  • ..., stinkt er; deshalb bringe ich ihn ... raus. (also good)

A comma can appear there, but since deshalb isn’t a coordinating conjunction like und/aber, a period or semicolon is often stylistically cleaner.

Why is it present tense (steht, stinkt, bringe) even though it describes a repeated situation?

German uses the present tense for:

  • general truths (Wenn X passiert, passiert Y)
  • habits/routines (jeden Abend bringe ich ... raus)
    So present tense is the normal choice here.
Why is jeden Abend placed after ihn? Could the order change?

Yes, the order can change, but pronouns like ihn often come early. This is very natural:

  • deshalb bringe ich ihn jeden Abend raus.

Alternatives (different emphasis):

  • deshalb bringe ich jeden Abend den Biomüll raus. (noun object often later than pronoun)
  • Deshalb bringe ich ihn raus—jeden Abend. (strong emphasis on frequency)