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Sobald du nach Hause kommst, ruf mich bitte an.

Sobald du nach Hause kommst, ruf mich bitte an.
As soon as you come home, please call me.

Breakdown of Sobald du nach Hause kommst, ruf mich bitte an.

das Haus
the house
nach
to
du
you
mich
me
anrufen
to call
bitte
please
sobald
as soon as
kommen
to arrive
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Questions & Answers about Sobald du nach Hause kommst, ruf mich bitte an.

Why is there a comma after kommst?

Because Sobald du nach Hause kommst is a subordinate clause (introduced by sobald). In German, subordinate clauses are usually separated from the main clause with a comma:

  • Sobald
    • clause, ,
      • main clause
        So the comma is required here.
Why does the verb come at the end in Sobald du nach Hause kommst?

After subordinating conjunctions like sobald, German uses verb-final word order in that clause. That’s why kommst goes to the end of the subordinate clause:

  • du (subject) + other info + kommst (finite verb at the end)
Why does the second part start with ruf? Shouldn’t the verb be second?

In the main clause, the verb is normally in position 2—but here it’s an imperative (a command), and imperatives typically start with the verb:

  • Ruf mich bitte an.
    So it’s normal (and expected) for the verb to come first in commands.
Why is it ruf and not rufe?

Both exist, but ruf is the common spoken/written imperative for du in everyday German. Rufe is possible but sounds more formal or old-fashioned in many contexts.

Imperative forms (du):

  • anrufen → ruf ... an (common) / rufe ... an (less common)
Why is an separated from ruf?

Because anrufen is a separable verb (an- + rufen). In main clauses (including imperatives), the prefix often goes to the end:

  • Ruf mich bitte an.

But in subordinate clauses, it stays attached:

  • ..., weil du mich bitte anrufst.
Why is it mich and not mir?

Anrufen takes the accusative object (who you call). So I call him/her/me uses:

  • ich rufe ihn/sie/mich an (accusative)

Mir (dative) would be used with verbs that take a dative object (not the case here).

Why is it nach Hause and not zu Hause?

They mean different things grammatically:

  • nach Hause = direction/movement (going/coming home)
  • zu Hause = location (at home)

Since kommen involves movement toward home, nach Hause is the natural choice.

Is Hause supposed to have an -e? I thought it was just Haus.
Yes—nach Hause is a fixed expression. The -e is an older dative form that survives in some set phrases. You’ll also see similar “extra -e” in a few expressions (though nach Hause is by far the most common one learners meet).
Why is it present tense (kommst) even though it refers to the future?

German often uses the present tense to talk about the future, especially when the time is clear from context (here, sobald makes it future-oriented):

  • Sobald du ... kommst = as soon as you (will) come home

Using werden isn’t necessary in this type of sentence.

Could I switch the order and say Ruf mich bitte an, sobald du nach Hause kommst?

Yes, that’s completely natural. If the main clause comes first, you still use a comma before the subordinate clause:

  • Ruf mich bitte an, sobald du nach Hause kommst.

Word order inside the subordinate clause stays verb-final.

What exactly does bitte do here? Is it optional?

Bitte softens the command and makes it more polite—similar to adding please. It’s optional grammatically, but it changes the tone:

  • Ruf mich an. = more direct
  • Ruf mich bitte an. = friendlier/politer
Is this sentence informal because it uses du? What would the formal version look like?

Yes, du makes it informal (used with friends, family, kids, etc.). A formal version uses Sie and the corresponding verb forms:

  • Sobald Sie nach Hause kommen, rufen Sie mich bitte an.

(Notice: kommen and rufen match Sie.)