Subordinate clauses: dass

Tarek versteht, dass Nico mit den Händen arbeiten will.

A subordinate clause cannot normally stand alone. It is dependent on a superordinate main clause or subordinate clause. There is a comma between the superordinate main clause and the subordinate clause. The conjugated verb is nearly always right at the end of a subordinate clause. Many subordinate clauses are connected to the superordinate clause by certain introductory words. One of these introductory words is the subordinating conjunction dass.
Subordinate clauses with dass cannot be linked to any main or subordinate clause. Certain expressions allow construction with dass.

Amongst these expressions are ...

 

... Indirect statement sentences in which what someone has said, heard or read is reported:
Nico sagt, dass er das Studium hasst.


... Verbs of perception, thought, expression of feeling, knowledge and will:
Nico glaubt, dass seine Eltern ihn nicht verstehen.

 

... Expressions with an adjective + sein:
Nico ist sicher, dass er in Deutschland bleiben will.

 

... Impersonal expressions:
Es ist wichtig, dass Nico eine Arbeit findet.

 

 

Grammatical terms in German:

die Konjunktion: Conjunctions link sentences or clauses to each other.  There are two types of conjunction:

1. Conjunctions that link sentences or clauses of equal ordination, e.g. und, oder, aber. These are also known as co-ordinating conjunctions.

2. Conjunctions that link subordinate clauses to superordinate clauses, e.g. weil, dass. These are also known as subordinating conjunctions.