Kausalsätze I

Causal clauses I

Causal clauses state a reason or cause. They answer the question words:
Warum? (Why) Wieso?(Why) Weshalb? (How so?) Weswegen?(Why) Aus welchem Grund? (For what reason?) (All of them have the same meaning)

To form a causal clause, you need:

1. an action (a verb) in the main clause
2. a conjunction: „weil“ or „da“ (because/as)
3. a reason for this action in the subordinate clause

Example:

Warum bist du gestern zu spät gekommen? (Why were you late yesterday?)

= Hauptsatz (main clause) = Nebensatz (subordinate clause)

Hauptsatz and Nebensatz (Main and subordinate clauses)

Haupt- and Nebensatz are two different sentence forms:
A Hauptsatz is a clause that can stand on its own and does not depend on any other clause.
A Nebensatz is a clause that cannot stand on its own but is dependent on another clause.

"Weil" or "da"?

Use of „weil“

• When the main clause comes before the subordinate clause, it is usually used weil

Wieso arbeitet Stefan heute nicht? (Why isn't Stefan working today?)

Stefan arbeitet nicht, weil er krank ist. (Stefan isn't working because he's sick)

Question	Hauptsatz	Nebensatz
Warum hast du du die Wäsche nicht gewaschen? (Why didn't you wash the laundry?)	Ich konnte die Wäsche nicht waschen, (I couldn't do the laundry)	weil die Waschmaschine kaputt gegangen ist. (because the washing machine broke down)
Wieso lacht sie so? (Why is she laughing like that?)	Sie lacht so, (She laughs like that)	weil sie einen lustigen Witz gehört hat. (because she heard a funny joke)
Weshalb bist du nicht in der Arbeit? (Why aren't you at work?)	Ich bin heute nicht in die Arbeit gegangen, (I didn't go to work today)	weil ich starke Kopfschmerzen hatte. (because I had a bad headache)
Weswegen weint deine Schwester? (Why is your sister crying?)	Meine Schwester weint, (my sister is crying)	weil sie unseren Hund vermisst. (because she misses our dog)
Aus welchem Grund gehst du nicht zu der Party? (What's the reason you're not going to the party?)	Ich gehe nicht zu der Party, (I'm not going to the party)	weil ich morgen früh aufstehen muss. (because I have to get up early tomorrow)

Use of „da“

• When the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, it is usually used da

Wieso arbeitet Stefan heute nicht? (Why isn't Stefan working today?)

Da er krank ist, arbeitet Stefan heute nicht. (As he is sick, Stefan is not working today)

Nebensatz	Hauptsatz
Da die Waschmaschine kaputt gegangen ist, (As the washing machine broke)	konnte ich die Wäsche nicht waschen. (I couldn't do the laundry)
Da sie einen lustigen Witz gehört hat, (Because she heard a funny joke)	lacht sie so. (she laughs like that)
Da ich starke Kopfschmerzen hatte, (Because I had a bad headache)	bin ich heute nicht in die Arbeit gegangen. (I didn't go to work today)
Da sie unseren Hund vermisst (Because she misses our dog)	weint meine Schwester. (my sister cries)
Da ich morgen früh raus muss, (As I have to get up early tomorrow)	gehe ich nicht zu der Party. (I'm not going to the party)

• Subordinate clauses that are introduced with weil can exceptionally stand alone (without a Hauptsatz) if the situation is clear.

Question clause	Answer clause = Nebensatz
Warum gehst du schon nach Hause? (Why are you going home already?)	Weil ich total müde bin. (Because I'm really tired)
Weshalb kommst du nicht mit ins Kino? (Why don't you go to the movies with me?)	Weil ich heute keine Zeit habe. (Because I don't have time today)
Wieso kann dein Bruder nicht fahren? (Why can't your brother drive?)	Weil er keinen Führerschein hat. (Because he doesn't have a driver's license)

The conjunctions da and weil mean the same thing. From a grammatical point of view, both can be interchanged. Da is used more often when the Nebensatz comes before the Hauptsatz. The topic being discussed is often already known. Examples:

Da das Wetter heute viel schlechter ist als wir dachten, grillen wir nicht. (As the weather today is much worse than we thought, we don't have a barbecue)

Da mein Auto kaputt ist, kann ich heute nicht zum Einkaufen gehen. (Because my car broke down, I can't go shopping today)

Use of "denn"

Denn und weil have a common level of meaning, but in the German phrase they are used completely differently. Both words are conjunctions, but denn can only introduce a main clause (HS) and weil can only introduce a subordinate clause (NS). Example:

Ich kann leider nicht mitkommen, denn ich habe noch viel zu tun. (Unfortunately I can't come with you because I still have a lot to do)

The conjunction denn stands between two main clauses and thus takes the position zero. Accordingly, the basic structure of the main clauses is retained. The subject is in position 1, the finite verb in position 2.

Word order

In the Nebensatz (NS), which begins with weil/da the verb always comes at the end.

In the Hauptsatz (HS) the verb is either in the 1st or in the 2nd position:

1. Position:
Da ich Halsschmerzen habe (Because I have a sore throat,) (NS: the verb at the end)
gehe ich zum Arzt. (I go to the doctor) (NS before HS, therefore: the verb in the 1st position)
2. Position:
Ich gehe zum Arzt, (I go to the doctor,) (HS before NS, therefore: the verb in the 2nd position)
da ich Halsschmerzen habe. (because I have a sore throat) (NS: the verb at the end)