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Wortstellung im Deutschen

  • Word order in German is not completely free; it follows certain rules.
  • Placing words in the correct order makes the sentence sound natural and easier to understand.

1️⃣ Overview of 4 key rules​

There are 4 important rules to remember for word order in German:

Rule 1: The indirect object (Dative) comes before the direct object (Accusative).
Rule 2: If the direct object is a personal pronoun, it comes before the indirect object.
Rule 3: Adverbial phrases follow the TeKaMoLo order (Temporal – Causal – Modal – Local).
Rule 4: The most important element usually appears at the beginning or end of the sentence.

2️⃣ Rule 1: The indirect object (Dative) comes before the direct object (Accusative)​

When a sentence has both Dative and Accusative objects, the Dative object comes first.

Structure:

Subject + verb + Dative object + Accusative object

Examples:

  • Ich gebe dem Kind ein Buch. (I give the child a book.)
  • Er schenkt seiner Mutter eine Blume. (He gives his mother a flower.)

Note:
The Dative indicates the recipient (person), the Accusative indicates the thing.

3️⃣ Rule 2: If the direct object is a personal pronoun, it comes before the indirect object​

If the Accusative object is a personal pronoun (mich, dich, ihn, sie, es, uns, euch, sie/Sie), it comes before the Dative object.

Structure:

Subject + verb + Accusative pronoun + Dative object

Examples:

  • Ich gebe es dem Kind. (I give it to the child.)
  • Er schenkt sie seiner Mutter. (He gives it to his mother.)

Note:

  • If the Accusative object is a noun, the Dative still comes first.
  • If the Accusative object is a pronoun, it precedes the Dative.

4️⃣ Rule 3: Adverbial phrases follow the TeKaMoLo order​

Order of adverbs according to TeKaMoLo:
  • Te → Temporal (when?)
  • Ka → Causal (why?)
  • Mo → Modal (how?)
  • Lo → Local (where?)

Example:

  • Ich fahre morgen wegen der Arbeit mit dem Auto nach Berlin.
    (I’m going to Berlin tomorrow because of work by car.)

Note:

  • If there is only one adverb, it can appear at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.
  • This structure may vary slightly in daily speech.

5️⃣ Rule 4: The most important part is often placed at the beginning or end of the sentence​

In German, the most important element in a sentence is usually placed at the start or end for emphasis.

Examples:

  • Den Film habe ich gestern gesehen.
    (That film I saw yesterday.)
    (Emphasising "Den Film")

  • Ich habe gestern den Film gesehen.
    (I saw the film yesterday.)
    (Neutral word order)

Note:

  • You can change word order to emphasise something.
  • The verb always stays in position two in a main clause.

✅ Summary: Key points​

not

Rule 1: The Dative object comes before the Accusative object.
Rule 2: If the Accusative object is a personal pronoun, it comes before the Dative.
Rule 3: Adverbials follow the TeKaMoLo order (Time – Cause – Manner – Place).
Rule 4: The most important element can be placed at the start or end of the sentence for emphasis.

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