A1 foundations · Lesson 3

Word order in a simple statement

Place the conjugated verb in position 2, whether you start with the subject or a time phrase.

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What you will learn

Build a simple statement beginning with the subject.
Put a time phrase first while keeping the verb in position 2.

1. A common start: subject, then verb

In a simple declarative main clause with one conjugated verb, you can begin with the subject: Ich lerne Deutsch. ich is the subject and lerne is the verb. The verb must agree with its subject: wir lernen, not wir lerne.

2. A time phrase can come first

You can put Heute first: Heute lerne ich Deutsch. Heute occupies position 1, lerne position 2, followed by the subject ich. Heute ich lerne Deutsch is not the correct order for this statement.

A position is not necessarily one word. Am Montag contains two words but fills position 1 as a unit: Am Montag lerne ich Deutsch. The verb is in the second position, not always the second word.

3. Three checks for your sentence

Find the subject, choose its verb form, then check position 2 in the statement. When a time phrase starts our simple patterns, the subject follows the verb directly: Heute habe ich Zeit.

Here we apply this rule to simple declarative main clauses only. Yes/no questions and subordinate clauses have different patterns and are outside this lesson.

Rule summary

Position 1	Position 2: verb	Subject after the verb if not first	Rest
Ich	lerne	—	Deutsch.
Heute	lerne	ich	Deutsch.
Am Montag	lerne	ich	Deutsch.

Examples

Ich trinke Wasser.

Meaning

I drink water.

Heute trinke ich Wasser.

Meaning

Today I drink water.

Am Morgen trinkt Paul Wasser.

Meaning

In the morning Paul drinks water.

Wir lernen heute Deutsch.

Meaning

We are learning German today.

Am Abend ist Lena zu Hause.

Meaning

In the evening Lena is at home.

Heute habe ich Zeit.

Meaning

Today I have time.

Lesson exercises

A1 · 10

Choose one answer for immediate feedback and a brief explanation.

Answered / 10

Correct / 10

You have answered all ten exercises. Retry them to improve your score.

Exercise 1 / 10

Choose the correct statement beginning with Ich.

Ich · trinken · Wasser

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Ich trinke Wasser.

Why? Ich comes first, followed by trinke in position 2 and then Wasser.

Show answer and explanation

Ich trinke Wasser.

Ich comes first, followed by trinke in position 2 and then Wasser.

Exercise 2 / 10

Choose the correct order beginning with Heute.

Heute · ich · Deutsch · lernen

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Heute lerne ich Deutsch.

Why? Heute comes first, then the verb lerne, then the subject ich.

Show answer and explanation

Heute lerne ich Deutsch.

Heute comes first, then the verb lerne, then the subject ich.

Exercise 3 / 10

Which complete phrase fills position 1?

Am Montag lerne ich Deutsch.

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Am Montag

Why? Am Montag is a two-word phrase filling position 1 together. lerne follows it.

Show answer and explanation

Am Montag

Am Montag is a two-word phrase filling position 1 together. lerne follows it.

Exercise 4 / 10

Choose the verb form agreeing with ich.

Heute ___ ich Deutsch.

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: lerne

Why? ich takes lerne. It follows Heute in position 2.

Exercise 5 / 10

Where is the conjugated verb in a simple declarative main clause?

Ich lerne Deutsch.

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Position 2

Why? In this pattern the conjugated verb is in position 2. A position may contain several words.

Show answer and explanation

Position 2

In this pattern the conjugated verb is in position 2. A position may contain several words.

Exercise 6 / 10

Choose the subject pronoun that agrees with trinkt.

Am Morgen trinkt ___ Wasser.

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: er

Why? Here er agrees with trinkt. It follows the verb because Am Morgen fills the first position.

Show answer and explanation

Here er agrees with trinkt. It follows the verb because Am Morgen fills the first position.

Exercise 7 / 10

Choose the correct sentence beginning with Wir.

Wir · heute · Deutsch · lernen

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Wir lernen heute Deutsch.

Why? Wir is the subject. Its verb form lernen goes in position 2.

Show answer and explanation

Wir lernen heute Deutsch.

Wir is the subject. Its verb form lernen goes in position 2.

Exercise 8 / 10

Choose the form agreeing with wir.

Heute ___ wir Deutsch.

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: lernen

Why? wir takes lernen even when Heute comes before the subject.

Exercise 9 / 10

Choose the correct sentence beginning with Am Abend.

Am Abend · Lena · zu Hause · sein

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Am Abend ist Lena zu Hause.

Why? Am Abend fills position 1, followed by ist in position 2 and then Lena.

Show answer and explanation

Am Abend ist Lena zu Hause.

Am Abend fills position 1, followed by ist in position 2 and then Lena.

Exercise 10 / 10

Keep the meaning and begin with Heute.

Ich habe heute Zeit.

Correct answer ✓Incorrect answer

Correct answer: Heute habe ich Zeit.

Why? With Heute first, habe stays in position 2 and ich follows it. The verb form does not change.

Show answer and explanation

Heute habe ich Zeit.

With Heute first, habe stays in position 2 and ich follows it. The verb form does not change.

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Grammar references for further reading

Explanations, examples and exercises were created for WikiGerman. An introduction to A1, not a complete course.

Goethe-Institut · Deutsche Grammatik

Content last reviewed: 2026-11-01

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