Word Order – Time, Manner, Place in German

This section explains Future Tense Word Order – Time, Manner, Place in German. In German, the word order in sentences follows a specific structure. When describing actions in the future tense, the time, manner, and place of the action must be ordered correctly in the sentence. This is an important part of mastering German sentence structure.

Basic Word Order in German Sentences:

The general rule for word order in German is:

• Time – When the action takes place
• Manner – How the action takes place
• Place – Where the action takes place

In future tense sentences, the verb (in this case, the conjugated form of werden) comes in second position. After the verb, the infinitive of the main verb will be placed at the end of the sentence. The time, manner, and place elements usually come before the infinitive, following the general order of time, manner, and place.

Structure for Future Tense Sentences:

Future Tense Sentence Structure:

• Time + Manner + Place + Conjugated Verb + Infinitive Verb

Example:

• Morgen (Time) früh (Manner) zu Hause (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) arbeiten (Infinitive Verb).
  (Tomorrow, early, at home, I will work.)

Foundation Tier Examples:

• Am Wochenende (Time) mit meiner Familie (Manner) im Park (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) spazieren gehen (Infinitive Verb).
  (At the weekend, with my family, in the park, I will go for a walk.)
• Morgen (Time) nach der Schule (Manner) zu Hause (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) Hausaufgaben machen (Infinitive Verb).
  (Tomorrow, after school, at home, I will do my homework.)
• In der Sommerferien (Time) mit Freunden (Manner) am Strand (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) schwimmen (Infinitive Verb).
  (In the summer holidays, with friends, at the beach, I will swim.)
• Übermorgen (Time) mit dem Bus (Manner) nach Berlin (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) fahren (Infinitive Verb).
  (The day after tomorrow, by bus, to Berlin, I will travel.)

Higher Tier Examples:

• Nächsten Monat (Time) wahrscheinlich (Manner) in einem Hotel (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) eine Reise nach Griechenland machen (Infinitive Verb).
  (Next month, probably, in a hotel, I will go on a trip to Greece.)
• Heute Abend (Time) mit Freunden (Manner) in der Stadt (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) essen gehen (Infinitive Verb).
  (This evening, with friends, in the city, I will go out for dinner.)
• In zwei Tagen (Time) mit dem Fahrrad (Manner) durch den Wald (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) fahren (Infinitive Verb).
  (In two days, by bike, through the forest, I will cycle.)
• Morgen Nachmittag (Time) mit meiner Schwester (Manner) im Kino (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) einen Film sehen (Infinitive Verb).
  (Tomorrow afternoon, with my sister, in the cinema, I will watch a film.)
• In der Zukunft (Time) mit der ganzen Familie (Manner) im Ausland (Place) werde ich (Conjugated Verb) reisen (Infinitive Verb).
  (In the future, with the whole family, abroad, I will travel.)

Exceptions to Word Order:

• Time phrases such as morgen, übermorgen, nächste Woche are typically placed at the beginning of the sentence. However, in some cases, they can also be placed in the middle of the sentence if the focus is on place or manner.
  For example:
  • Morgen werde ich im Park laufen. (Tomorrow I will walk in the park.)
  • Ich werde morgen im Park laufen. (I will walk in the park tomorrow.)
• Manner can be used to explain how something is done, and this can be flexible, either at the beginning or the end of the sentence. However, it is often placed before the place.
  • Mit dem Zug werde ich nach Paris fahren. (I will travel to Paris by train.)
  • Nach Paris werde ich mit dem Zug fahren. (To Paris, I will travel by train.)

Summary:

• In the future tense, the verb werden is conjugated and comes in the second position, while the infinitive of the main verb is placed at the end of the sentence.
• Time, manner, and place should generally be in the order of time, manner, place, with the infinitive verb placed at the end of the sentence.
• This word order helps clarify the when, how, and where of the action in the future.

Key Vocabulary:

• Tomorrow: morgen
• Next week: nächste Woche
• In two days: in zwei Tagen
• By train: mit dem Zug
• At the weekend: am Wochenende
• With my family: mit meiner Familie