Ich warte draußen, bis du reinkommst.

I wait outside until you come in.

Breakdown of Ich warte draußen, bis du reinkommst.

• draußen: outside
• ich: I
• du: you
• bis: until
• warten: to wait
• reinkommen: to come in

Questions & Answers about Ich warte draußen, bis du reinkommst.

Why is there a comma before bis?

Because bis du reinkommst is a subordinate clause (a dependent clause). In German, subordinate clauses are normally separated from the main clause with a comma:

• Ich warte draußen, bis du reinkommst.

This comma is standard and expected in writing.

Why does the verb come at the end in bis du reinkommst?

After subordinating conjunctions like bis, German uses verb-final word order in that clause. So instead of main-clause order (du kommst rein), you get:

• subordinate clause: bis du reinkommst (verb at the end)

Why is it reinkommst and not kommst rein?

reinkommen is a separable-prefix verb (rein- + kommen).

• In a main clause, the prefix usually splits off: Du kommst rein.
• In a subordinate clause, the verb goes to the end and the prefix stays attached: …, bis du reinkommst.

So the form changes because the clause type changes.

Is rein the same as hinein? Is reinkommen informal?

Often, yes: rein is a common shortened/colloquial form of hinein in everyday speech.

• More neutral/formal: …, bis du hineinkommst.
• Very common spoken style: …, bis du reinkommst.

Both are correct; rein just sounds more conversational.

Why is it Ich warte … bis du reinkommst (present tense) even if it refers to the future?

German often uses the present tense to talk about future events when the time reference is clear from context (here: bis + the situation implies “from now until”). So reinkommst can mean “(until) you come in” in the future without needing a future tense.

Does warten need auf? Why isn’t it Ich warte auf dich?

warten can be used:

• with an object: Ich warte auf dich. (I’m waiting for you.)
• without saying who/what (the context supplies it): Ich warte draußen.

In your sentence, the “for what” is effectively given by the bis-clause, so leaving out auf dich is fine. You could also say:

• Ich warte draußen, bis du reinkommst.
• Ich warte draußen auf dich, bis du reinkommst. (a bit redundant, but possible)

Where can draußen go in the sentence? Is the position fixed?

It’s flexible. draußen is an adverb of place, and German allows different placements depending on emphasis:

• Ich warte draußen, bis du reinkommst. (neutral)
• Draußen warte ich, bis du reinkommst. (emphasizes “outside”)
• Ich warte, bis du reinkommst, draußen. (possible but less elegant; sounds like an afterthought)

Could I also say … bis du hereinkommst or … bis du reingehst?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

• reinkommen / hereinkommen = “come in” (movement toward the speaker / into the room)
• reingehen = “go in” (focuses on going rather than coming; can feel slightly different depending on perspective)

herein- often implies motion “toward here” (toward the speaker), while rein- is more neutral in everyday usage.

Why is bis used here, and not wenn or während?

They express different time relationships:

• bis = “until” (waiting stops when the action happens): Ich warte … bis du reinkommst.
• wenn = “when/if” (conditional or repeated situations): Ich warte draußen, wenn du reinkommst. (sounds like “whenever you come in” or “if you come in”)
• während = “while” (two actions happening at the same time): Ich warte draußen, während du reinkommst. (odd here; “coming in” is usually too short to frame a “while” situation)