deshalb, darum, deswegen, also, sonst (A1) – German grammar

deshalb, also, sonst and similar words take position 1, so the verb comes next: Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.

Learn first:Main clause: verb in position 2

The five words

Word	Meaning	Example	English
deshalb	so / that's why	Es regnet. Deshalb nehme ich einen Schirm.	It's raining. So I'm taking an umbrella.
darum	so / that's why	Ich bin müde. Darum schlafe ich.	I'm tired. That's why I'm sleeping.
deswegen	because of that	Der Chef ist da. Deswegen arbeiten wir.	The boss is here. Because of that, we're working.
also	so	Wir haben Zeit. Also trinken wir Kaffee.	We have time. So we're having coffee.
sonst	otherwise	Mach schnell! Sonst kommen wir zu spät.	Be quick! Otherwise we'll be late.

The main points

deshalb, darum, deswegen, also, sonst fill position 1.
The verb comes next, then the subject.
deshalb, darum, deswegen, also: "so" or "that's why".
sonst means "otherwise": a warning.
denn keeps normal order; after deshalb, the verb comes next.

Part 1 of 4

When you use it

1
Results: deshalb, darum, deswegen, also
- Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. Deshalb bleibe ich heute zu Hause.I have a headache. So I'm staying at home today.
- Der Zug hat Verspätung. Deshalb komme ich zu spät.The train is delayed. That's why I'm late.
These words show the result of the sentence before. They all mean "so" or "that's why".
2
Warnings: sonst
- Beeil dich! Sonst verpassen wir den Zug.Hurry up! Otherwise we'll miss the train.
- Du musst viel trinken. Sonst wirst du krank.You have to drink a lot. Otherwise you'll get ill.
sonst means "otherwise". It says what happens if you don't do something.

The forms

The five words

Each word fills position 1. The verb comes next, then the subject.

Word	Meaning	Example	English
deshalb	so / that's why	Es regnet. Deshalb nehme ich einen Schirm.	It's raining. So I'm taking an umbrella.
darum	so / that's why	Ich bin müde. Darum schlafe ich.	I'm tired. That's why I'm sleeping.
deswegen	because of that	Der Chef ist da. Deswegen arbeiten wir.	The boss is here. Because of that, we're working.
also	so	Wir haben Zeit. Also trinken wir Kaffee.	We have time. So we're having coffee.
sonst	otherwise	Mach schnell! Sonst kommen wir zu spät.	Be quick! Otherwise we'll be late.

What to notice

German also means "so". English "also" is auch in German.

Part 2 of 4

Step by step

1
Say the reason in sentence 1
Write a normal sentence.
- Ich bin krank.I'm ill.
2
Start sentence 2 with the word
deshalb, also or sonst fills position 1 on its own.
- Deshalb …So …
3
Verb next, then the subject
The verb comes right after the word in position 2. The subject follows the verb.
- Deshalb komme ich nicht.So I'm not coming.

Part 3 of 4

Common mistakes

~~Ich bin krank, deshalb ich komme nicht.~~
Ich bin krank. Deshalb komme ich nicht.
deshalb is position 1, so the verb comes before ich.
~~Mach schnell, sonst wir verpassen den Zug.~~
Mach schnell, sonst verpassen wir den Zug.
sonst is position 1 too. The verb comes before wir.
~~Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn bin ich krank.~~
Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank.
denn is position 0 (K01). The order doesn't change.

Exceptions

Tap one to open it.

deshalb, darum and deswegen can also stand after the verb. Then the subject stays in position 1.
- Ich bin krank. Ich komme deshalb nicht.I'm ill. That's why I'm not coming.
German also means "so" or "that means". For English "also", say auch.
- Wir haben Zeit. Also trinken wir Kaffee.We have time. So we're having coffee.
- Ich trinke auch Kaffee.I'm also having coffee.

Don't mix it up

denn or deshalb?

denn gives the reason and keeps normal order. deshalb gives the result, and the verb comes right after it.

Word	Word order	Example
denn (K01)	position 0: normal order	Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank.
deshalb (K06)	position 1: verb comes next	Ich bin krank. Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.

Part 4 of 4

In real life

Solving household problems

David and Sarah talk about a small problem in their shared flat in Leipzig. · Tap EN for English.

David
Der Kühlschrank ist kaputt. Deshalb ist das Wasser nicht kalt.
Sarah
Oh nein! Also müssen wir sofort jemanden anrufen.
David
Ja, mach das bitte schnell. Sonst werden die Lebensmittel schlecht.
Sarah
Ich habe die Nummer vom Vermieter. Darum rufe ich ihn jetzt an.

That's the whole topic.

Next topicweil (because)

The five words

The main points

When you use it

Results: deshalb, darum, deswegen, also

Warnings: sonst

The forms

The five words

Step by step

Say the reason in sentence 1

Start sentence 2 with the word

Verb next, then the subject

Common mistakes

Exceptions

Don't mix it up

denn or deshalb?

In real life

Sources