When, why, how, where · TeKaMoLo
When a sentence has several of them, the usual order is time, reason, manner, place: Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin.
Examples
- Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin.I'm going to Berlin by train tomorrow.
- Wir fahren am Samstag nach Hamburg.We're going to Hamburg on Saturday.
- Wir bleiben heute wegen des Regens zu Hause.We're staying at home today because of the rain.
The order
Te, Ka, Mo, Lo After the verb in slot 2, the extra information usually comes in this order:
English says "by train to Berlin tomorrow"; German puts when first.
Two of them
time before place The most common case. Time comes first, place last:
All four
It is a tendency, not a law. Time and reason swap freely: wegen des Streiks heute is just as good. What counts is that when and why come before how, and where comes last.
One can go first
Any one of them can fill slot 1; the verb stays second and the rest keep their order:
Common mistakes
What you'll practise
1. Time before place
When a sentence has a time and a place, the time comes first: Wir fahren am Samstag nach Hamburg.
- Sie wohnt seit Mai in Berlin.She has been living in Berlin since May.
2. Time, manner, place
How (mit dem Zug, zu Fuß) goes between when and where: Er geht jeden Tag zu Fuß zur Arbeit.
- Er geht jeden Tag zu Fuß zur Arbeit.He walks to work every day.
3. With a reason: wegen …
A reason (wegen des Regens) goes next to the time, either before or after it, and before the manner and place: Wir bleiben heute wegen des Regens zu Hause.
- Er fährt heute wegen des Streiks mit dem Auto ins Büro.Because of the strike he's going to the office by car today.
Practise it until it sticks
Short drills built on these 3 skills, with instant feedback on every answer. Free to start.