Conditions with wenn and falls

In brief

Use wenn or falls to say what must happen for something else to happen. Both can mean ‘if’; falls often suggests that you are less sure the condition will occur. In a conditional clause, the conjugated verb goes at the end. If the condition comes first, the main clause begins with its verb, without an extra dann or es as a required subject placeholder.

Form

Wenn/Falls + subject + other words + conjugated verb, conjugated verb + subject + … . Alternatively: main clause + wenn/falls + subject + other words + conjugated verb.

Usage

• Use wenn for an ordinary condition, such as a plan that depends on the weather.
• Use falls when you want to leave open whether something will happen.
• Put a comma between the conditional clause and the main clause, whichever comes first.

Examples

• Wenn es morgen regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. — If it rains tomorrow, we’ll stay home.
• Falls du später Zeit hast, ruf mich an. — If you have time later, give me a call.
• Ich nehme einen Schirm mit, falls es regnet. — I’ll take an umbrella in case it rains.
• Wenn der Bus nicht kommt, fahren wir mit dem Fahrrad. — If the bus doesn’t come, we’ll go by bike.

Common mistake

❌ Wenn es regnet, wir bleiben zu Hause.

✅ Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause.

After an initial wenn clause, the main clause starts with its conjugated verb; English word order does not carry over here.

Remember

The conditional clause ends with its conjugated verb; after an initial condition, the main clause starts with its verb.