German: When and If - Complete Guide

This lesson covers the German equivalents of “when” and “if” in English, which are common trouble areas for German learners, especially English speakers.

We use different words to use “when” and “if”:

• OB,
• FALLS,
• ALS,
• WANN,
• WENN

Part 1: Three Ways to Say “WHEN” in German

• WANN
• WENN
• ALS

1. WANN - For Questions

• Used for both direct and indirect questions
• Always asking “at what time?”

Examples:

• Direct question: Wann beginnt das Spiel? (When does the game begin?)
• Indirect question: Ich weiß nicht, wann das Spiel beginnt. (I don’t know when the game begins.)

2. WENN - For Non-Questions

Can mean two things: IF or WHENEVER

a) IF (conditional)

• Sie wird gewinnen, wenn sie gut spielt. (She will win if she plays well.)

b) WHENEVER (repeated action)

• Sie gewinnt, wenn sie gut spielt. (She wins whenever she plays well.)

Key Rule: When you could say “whenever” in English, use wenn in German.

Exception: Repeated Past Actions

• Use wenn for repeated actions in the past
• Jedes Mal, wenn sie spielte, gewann sie. (Every time she played, she won)
• Often coupled with time phrases like “jedes Mal” (every time)

3. ALS - For Past Tense

• Used for one-time events in the past
• Die Party war vorbei, als wir ankamen. (The party was over when we arrived)

Part 2: Three Ways to Say “IF” in German

1. WENN - Conditions

• Expresses conditional statements
• Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich eine Weltreise machen. (If I were rich, I would go on a world trip)
• Sie bekommt Taschengeld, wenn sie den Müll rausbringt. (She gets pocket money if she takes out the rubbish)

2. OB - Doubt or Alternatives

Can express:

a) Doubt (can translate as “whether”)

• Ich weiß nicht, ob ich morgen kommen kann. (I don’t know if/whether I can come tomorrow)

b) Two Alternatives

• Es liegt an dir, ob wir nach England fahren. (It’s up to you if/whether we go to England)

Key Rule: If you can say “whether” in English, use ob in German.

3. FALLS - Unlikelihood/In Case

• Expresses unlikely events
• Can be translated as “in case”

Examples:

• Ich würde gerne kommen, falls ich eingeladen werde. (I would love to come if/in case I am invited)
• Falls ich zu spät bin, rufe ich dich zuerst an. (If/In case I’m late, I’ll phone you first)

Key Point: Falls expresses the speaker’s view that the action is unlikely to occur.

Quick Reference Summary

Study Tips

• See these words repeatedly in context
• Practice using them in your own speaking and writing
• Make the usage automatic through repetition

Reference

Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch/JbfDPtmGIPQ