Temporal clause with 'wenn' (repeated / present / future)
Temporalsatz mit 'wenn'
'wenn' (when/whenever) introduces a for repeated, present or future events.
Structure
wenn + Subjekt ... Verb (Endstellung) - Wiederholung / Gegenwart / Zukunft
wenn + subject ... verb (final position) - repetition / present / future
Details
- Part of Speech
- Conjunction
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
wenn introduces a temporal for repeated events ("whenever / every time"), or for events in the present or future. The conjugated goes to the end of the clause.
Examples:
- Wenn ich nach Hause komme, koche ich mir einen Tee. - When I come home, I make myself a tea.
- Immer wenn es regnete, blieben wir drinnen. - Every time it rained, we stayed inside.
- Wenn du morgen kommst, zeige ich dir die Stadt. - When you come tomorrow, I'll show you the city.
To stress repetition in the past, add immer ("immer wenn" = every time). This is the key difference from als, which marks a single past event.
Contrast:
- single past event → als: Als ich gestern kam ...
- repeated / present / future → wenn: Wenn ich komme ...
Common mistakes: Using wenn for a one-off past event when als is needed. Also confusing temporal wenn with conditional wenn ("if") - context decides, but in the past wenn almost always means "every time".
About Temporal clause with 'wenn' (repeated / present / future)
'wenn' (when/whenever) introduces a for repeated, present or future events.
'wenn' introduces repeated actions ('immer wenn'), present or future events, with the at the end: 'Wenn ich nach Hause komme, esse ich.' For a one-off past event use 'als'.
'Wenn' leitet einen für wiederholte Ereignisse oder für und ein.
Caution
For a single past event use 'als', not 'wenn'. In the past, 'wenn' means 'every time' (jedes Mal), so add 'immer' if you want to stress repetition.