Subordinate Clauses with "obwohl"

1. Function

• "obwohl" is a subordinating conjunction and means *although / even though* in English.
• It introduces a subordinate clause (Nebensatz) that expresses a contrast.

Example: Er geht spazieren, obwohl es regnet. (He goes for a walk, although it is raining.)

2. Word Order

• In an "obwohl"-clause, the conjugated verb goes to the **end** of the clause.

Example: - Main clause: Es regnet. (It is raining.) - Subordinate clause: ... obwohl es regnet. (... although it is raining.)

3. Structure

[Main clause] + obwohl + [Subject + Object + ... + Verb at the end]

Examples:

• Ich gehe zur Arbeit, obwohl ich krank bin.

(I go to work although I am sick.)

• Sie bleibt freundlich, obwohl sie müde ist.

(She stays friendly although she is tired.)

• Wir machen ein Picknick, obwohl es kalt ist.

(We have a picnic although it is cold.)

4. Position in the Sentence

• "obwohl" makes the clause dependent (a subordinate clause).
• If the "obwohl"-clause comes first, the verb of the main clause follows immediately (inversion).

Examples: - Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir spazieren. (Although it is raining, we go for a walk.) - Obwohl er wenig Zeit hat, hilft er seinen Freunden. (Although he has little time, he helps his friends.)

5. Comparison: "obwohl" vs. "trotzdem"

Functions

• obwohl: builds one complex sentence (main clause + subordinate clause).
• trotzdem: links two main clauses (often as two separate sentences).

Word order

• obwohl: the verb goes to the **end** of the subordinate clause.
• trotzdem: the verb comes **directly after trotzdem** (verb-second rule).

Examples:

• Obwohl es regnet, geht er spazieren (Although it is raining, he goes for a walk.)
• Es regnet. Trotzdem geht er spazieren (It is raining. Nevertheless, he goes for a walk.)

Created: 31 Aug 2025

Last Update: