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Konsekutive Nebensätze in German

How to Express Results and Consequences Clearly

When learning German, one of the key skills is showing cause and effect.
Konsekutive Nebensätze (consecutive subordinate clauses) help you explain the result or consequence of an action or situation.

In simple terms:

Something happens → therefore / as a result → something else happens

Let’s break this down step by step.

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1. What is a Konsekutiver Nebensatz?

A Konsekutiver Nebensatz describes the result of what is stated in the main clause.

👉 The main clause gives the cause
👉 The consecutive clause gives the effect

Example (English logic):

It was very cold, so I stayed at home.

German does the same — but with specific structures.

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2. Common Forms of Konsekutive Constructions

A) so … dass (very common)

This is the most important structure.

Structure:

Main clause + so + adjective/adverb + dass + subordinate clause

Examples:

• Es war so kalt, dass ich zu Hause geblieben bin.
  (It was so cold that I stayed at home.)

• Er spricht so schnell, dass ich ihn nicht verstehe.
  (He speaks so fast that I don’t understand him.)

📌 Grammar tip:

• The verb in the dass-clause goes to the end.

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B) solch- / so ein- … dass

Used with nouns instead of adjectives.

Examples:

• Das war so ein schwieriger Test, dass viele Studenten durchgefallen sind.

• Sie hatte solche Angst, dass sie nicht sprechen konnte.

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C) …, sodass … (alternative form)

This structure is very common in written German.

Example:

• Es hat stark geregnet, sodass wir zu Hause geblieben sind.
  (It rained heavily, so we stayed at home.)

📌 Difference:

• so … dass → more descriptive, emotional

• sodass → more neutral, factual

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3. Word Order: Very Important ⚠️

In consecutive subordinate clauses, the verb goes to the end.

✔️ Correct:

• … dass ich keine Zeit hatte

❌ Incorrect:

• … dass ich hatte keine Zeit

This rule applies to all Nebensätze in German.

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4. Konsekutiv vs. Kausal (Important Difference)

Many learners confuse consecutive and causal clauses.

Type	Meaning	Example
Kausal	reason (why?)	Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil es regnet.
Konsekutiv	result (what happened?)	Es regnet, sodass ich zu Hause bleibe.

👉 Kausal = cause
👉 Konsekutiv = result

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5. Typical Mistakes Learners Make

❌ Using weil instead of dass
❌ Forgetting verb-final position
❌ Mixing adjective and noun structures

Correct example:

• ❌ Es war so kalt, weil ich zu Hause blieb.

• ✔️ Es war so kalt, dass ich zu Hause blieb.

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6. When Should You Use Konsekutive Nebensätze?

They are perfect for:

• storytelling

• arguments and essays

• exams (B1–C1 level)

• everyday explanations

They make your German sound logical, structured, and advanced.

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7. Final Summary

✔️ Konsekutive Nebensätze express results
✔️ Most common form: so … dass
✔️ Verb always goes to the end
✔️ Very useful for clear and natural German

If you want more structured explanations, examples, and exercises, visit
👉 https://konnektoren.help

German logic becomes much easier once you master connectors like these 🚀