Subordinate clauses & verb-final order

Certain conjunctions push the conjugated verb all the way to the end of the clause. Getting this word order right — and knowing what happens when the clause comes first — is a clear B1 marker the examiner listens for.

The verb goes to the end: datt and well

A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone; it hangs off a main clause and is introduced by a subordinating conjunction. The two you will use constantly are datt (that) and well (because).

The rule is simple but easy to forget under pressure: in a subordinate clause the conjugated verb moves to the very end. Everything else keeps its normal order, and the verb closes the clause. A comma always separates the two clauses.

If there is a modal verb, it is the finite verb, so it goes last, after the infinitive: … datt ech méi Lëtzebuergesch léiere muss.

Ech mengen, datt hie muer kënnt.	I think that he's coming tomorrow.	kënnt closes the clause.
Ech bleiwen doheem, well ech midd sinn.	I'm staying home because I'm tired.	sinn at the end.
Ech weess, datt ech méi Lëtzebuergesch léiere muss.	I know that I have to learn more Luxembourgish.	modal muss goes last.
❌ Ech mengen, datt hie kënnt muer.	(wrong — verb not sent to the end).

Try it

Ech gleewen, datt d'Wieder muer besser . (ginn)

The verb closes the datt-clause: 'gëtt'.

Ech léiere Lëtzebuergesch, well ech den Test maache . (wëllen)

The modal is the finite verb and goes last.

More conjunctions: wann, ob, obwuel

The same verb-final rule applies to wann (if/when), ob (whether/if) and obwuel (although). They all send the conjugated verb to the end of their clause.

Watch the difference between wann and ob. Both can be translated 'if' in English, but wann is for conditions and time (if/when this happens), while ob is only for indirect yes/no questions (whether). Saying wann where you need ob — after verbs like froen or wëssen — is a frequent mistake.

Rufft mech un, wann Dir Zäit hutt.	Call me if/when you have time.	wann = condition/time.
Ech weess net, ob hie muer kënnt.	I don't know whether he's coming tomorrow.	ob = whether (indirect question).
Ech ginn all Dag schaffen, obwuel et net ëmmer einfach ass.	I go to work every day, although it's not always easy.	obwuel = although.

When the subordinate clause comes first

You can move the subordinate clause to the front of the sentence for emphasis. When you do, the whole clause counts as the first element — so the main clause that follows must begin with its verb, keeping the verb-second rule intact.

The pattern is: [subordinate clause], [verb] [subject] … The comma is followed immediately by the main-clause verb. This 'verb, then subject' bump is exactly what an examiner expects to hear, and it sounds far more natural than always starting with Ech.

Wann ech Zäit hunn, ginn ech lafen.	When I have time, I go running.	Leading clause → main verb ginn comes first.
Well ech midd sinn, ginn ech haut fréi schlofen.	Because I'm tired, I'm going to bed early today.
Obwuel et reent, gi mir spadséieren.	Although it's raining, we're going for a walk.

Try it

Wann et schéint Wieder ass, mir an de Park. (goen)

Leading clause is position one, so the main verb comes next.

Relative pronouns: deen, déi, dat

Relative clauses let you describe a noun with a whole clause, and they too are verb-final. The relative pronoun agrees with the gender and number of the noun it refers back to: deen for masculine, déi for feminine and for all plurals, dat for neuter.

After a preposition the pronoun takes the dative and changes shape — for example mat deem (with whom, masculine). Keep the verb at the end of the relative clause just as with any other subordinate clause.

De Mann, deen do steet, ass mäi Chef.	The man who is standing there is my boss.	deen = masculine.
D'Fra, déi ech gutt kennen, wunnt niewent mir.	The woman I know well lives next to me.	déi = feminine (here the object); verb at the end.
D'Kand, dat do spillt, ass mäi Jong.	The child playing there is my son.	dat = neuter.
D'Leit, déi hei wunnen, si frëndlech.	The people who live here are friendly.	déi = plural.
Dat ass de Kolleeg, mat deem ech all Dag schaffen.	That's the colleague I work with every day.	preposition + dative deem.