German Linking Words & Connectors Vocabulary
This set covers the words that hold German sentences together: weil and obwohl for reasons and contrasts, deshalb and daher for consequences, and the einerseits/andererseits pair for weighing two sides of an argument. The tricky part for English speakers is that several of these connectors force a specific word order (verb-final after weil, dass, obwohl) or verb-second inversion (after deshalb, allerdings), which doesn't happen with their English translations.
Learn these 36 words
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All 36 words
- außerA2
except; besides
Außer Lisa möchte niemand den Film sehen. — Except for Lisa, nobody wants to see the film.
- außerdemA2
moreover; also
Vier Brötchen, möchten Sie außerdem noch etwas? — Four rolls, would you also like anything else?
- dassA2
that
Rico hat gesagt, dass er auch zur Party kommt. — Rico said that he's coming to the party too.
- deshalbA2
therefore
Ich bin krank. Deshalb komme ich heute nicht ins Büro. — I'm sick. Therefore, I'm not coming to the office today.
- wegenA2
because of
Wegen seiner Arbeit kann er leider nicht kommen. — Because of his work, he unfortunately cannot come.
- weilA2
because
Ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten muss. — I cannot come because I have to work.
- wennA2
if, when
Wenn ich nicht arbeiten muss, komme ich. — If I don't have to work, I'll come.
for example
Mein Freund hat viele Hobbys, zum Beispiel Kochen, Lesen und Tanzen. — My friend has many hobbies, for example cooking, reading and dancing.
however, though
Wir können uns morgen treffen, allerdings habe ich erst ab Mittag Zeit. — We can meet tomorrow, however I only have time from noon.
- als obB1
as if, as though
Er tut so, als ob wir nie darüber gesprochen hätten. — He acts as if we had never talked about it.
on the other hand
Tarek möchte zwar studieren, aber andererseits möchte er auch gleich Geld verdienen. — Tarek wants to study, but on the other hand he also wants to earn money right away.
- daherB1
therefore; from there
Ich bin erkältet, daher kann ich heute nicht kommen. — I have a cold, therefore I cannot come today.
- damitB1
with that; so that
Mach schnell, damit wir nicht zu spät kommen. — Hurry up so that we don't arrive too late.
- deswegenB1
therefore, that's why
Ich habe falsch geparkt. Deswegen habe ich einen Strafzettel bekommen. — I parked illegally. That's why I got a parking ticket.
on one hand
Einerseits möchte ich die Reise gern machen, andererseits ist sie zu teuer. — On one hand I'd like to take the trip, on the other hand it's too expensive.
including
Alles zusammen kostet 200 Euro einschließlich Fahrtkosten. — Everything together costs 200 euros including transport costs.
either ... or
Nur einer kann gewinnen, entweder du oder ich. — Only one can win, either you or me.
- fallsB1
in case, if
Falls es regnet, machen wir kein Picknick. — If it rains, we won't have a picnic.
- jedochB1
however
Sie ruft immer wieder an, jedoch ohne Erfolg. — She keeps calling, however without success.
- nämlichB1
namely, that is
Ich muss leider gehen. Ich habe nämlich noch einen Termin beim Zahnarzt. — I'm sorry, I have to go. I have an appointment with the dentist, namely.
- obwohlB1
although, though
Obwohl meine Kollegin krank ist, geht sie arbeiten. — Although my colleague is sick, she goes to work.
- sodassB1
so that
Der Zug hatte zwei Stunden Verspätung, sodass ich erst um 23 Uhr nach Hause kam. — The train was two hours late, so I didn't get home until 11 p.m.
- sondernB1
but rather
Unser Besuch kommt nicht heute, sondern morgen. — Our guests are not coming today, but rather tomorrow.
- sowiesoB1
anyway, anyhow
Willst du mir den Brief mitgeben? Ich gehe sowieso zur Post. — Do you want me to take the letter? I'm going to the post office anyway.
both ... and
Sowohl Sie als auch Ihre Frau müssen unterschreiben. — Both you and your wife must sign.
- stattB1
instead of
Kann ich diese Woche statt Donnerstag am Freitag kommen? — Can I come on Friday instead of Thursday this week?
- trotzB1
despite
Trotz Grippe bin ich zur Arbeit gegangen. — Despite the flu, I went to work.
- trotzdemB1
nonetheless
Es war ziemlich kalt. Trotzdem bin ich schwimmen gegangen. — It was quite cold. Nevertheless, I went swimming.
- um … zuB1
in order to
Um gesund zu bleiben, musst du Sport machen und Gemüse essen. — In order to stay healthy, you must exercise and eat vegetables.
nevertheless / nonetheless
Das Projekt war schwierig, gleichwohl haben wir Erfolg gehabt. — The project was difficult; nevertheless, we succeeded.
regarding / with regard to / concerning
Hinsichtlich deiner Frage kann ich dir folgende Antwort geben. — Regarding your question, I can give you this answer.
in consideration / in view of
In Anbetracht der Umstände mussten wir umdisponieren. — In consideration of the circumstances, we had to rearrange.
to what extent
Inwieweit ist diese Theorie wissenschaftlich belegt? — To what extent is this theory scientifically proven?
nevertheless / notwithstanding
Das Projekt ist schwierig, nichtsdestotrotz gehen wir weiter. — The project is difficult, nevertheless we continue.
- überdiesC1
moreover / furthermore
Überdies sollten wir auch die Kosten bedenken. — Moreover, we should also consider the costs.
albeit / although
Wenngleich schwierig, lösten wir das Problem. — Although difficult, we solved the problem.
How to learn this set
Group these by the word order they trigger instead of by meaning alone: weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, falls, and sodass all push the verb to the end of the clause, while deshalb, daher, deswegen, allerdings, and jedoch send the verb straight after them at the start of a new clause. Drilling einerseits ... andererseits and entweder ... oder as fixed pairs will save you from inventing awkward half-versions of them. Notice that nämlich doesn't mean 'namely' the way you'd list items in English; it explains or justifies something just said, closer to 'you see' or 'the thing is.' Practice deshalb, daher, and deswegen by rewriting the same three sentences with each one, since your ear needs to accept that they're genuinely interchangeable before you'll use them without hesitating.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between weil and da in German?
Weil and da both mean 'because,' but da tends to introduce a reason the listener already knows or that's less central, often placed at the start of a sentence. Weil is the everyday, all-purpose choice and is safe to use in almost any context.
What is the difference between deshalb, daher, and deswegen?
All three mean 'therefore' or 'that's why,' and in everyday speech they're interchangeable. Deshalb is the most common in speech, daher sounds slightly more formal, and deswegen is common in spoken German too, so pick one and stay consistent rather than agonizing over the choice.
Does sondern replace aber in German?
No. Sondern only works after a negated clause to mean 'but rather' (nicht ... sondern), correcting what was just denied. Aber is the general 'but' for everything else, so 'Ich bin nicht müde, sondern hungrig' is right, but 'Ich bin müde, sondern hungrig' is wrong.
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