Question
Updated on
19 Oct 2021
- English (US)
- French (France) Near fluent
-
German
Question about German
What is the difference between weil and denn ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between weil and denn ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
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- English (UK)
- German
Both words are used to a explain the reason for something and mean
≈ because.
The difference is that "denn" is a conjunction (like eg. "und/and "or "oder/or"), while "weil" is a subjunction ( like eg. "bevor/ before").
In other words: a clause beginning with "denn" has main-clause-word ordering (conjugated part of the verb second).
A clause beginning with "weil" has sub-clause-word ordering. ( verb last).
_____________
1) I am tired, because I haven't slept enough.
2) Ich bin müde, denn ich habe nicht genug geschlafen.
3) Ich bin müde, weil ich nicht genug geschlafen habe.
__________
Another difference is that "denn" HAS to come after the thing it explains, while "weil" can be put im front.
1) Because I haven't slept enough, I am tired.
2) Weil ich nicht genug geschlafen habe, bin ich müde.
3) impossible with "denn".
It is very much like "therefor" in this regard (how you can use them, not meaningwise).
correct:
I haven't slept enough and therefor I am tired.
Ich bin müde, denn ich habe nicht geschlafen.
wrong:
Therefor I am tired, I haven't enough.
Denn ich bin müde, ich habe nicht genug geschlafen.
tl;dr: same meaning, but used differently
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- English (US)
- French (France) Near fluent
thank you! but is "denn" has the meaning of "that's why" for example: "I haven't slept enough and that's why i'm tired" ?
- English (UK)
- German
@A-massimo
No, it only carries the "because" meaning.
"that's why" would be darum/deshalb/deswegen. (All 3 are synonyms in modern day German.)
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