Dassclauses

Dass clauses are a type of German subordinate clause (Nebensatz) introduced by the conjunction dass. They express the content of a statement, belief, perception, or claim and typically function as the object or complement of a verb, an adjective, or a noun in the main clause. In English terms they correspond to “that”-clauses, as in Ich glaube, dass er kommt (I believe that he is coming).

Syntactically, a dass-clause is a subordinate clause with a finite verb placed at the end. The clause begins after a comma with the conjunction dass, followed by its own subject and other elements in normal German order, for example: Ich denke, dass er heute kommt. This yields a subject–object–other elements distribution within the clause, with the verb finishing the clause.

Tense and mood within dass-clauses can reflect reporting or modality. In written or formal contexts, Konjunktiv I is often used to indicate reported speech: Sie sagt, dass er komme. In everyday speech the indicative can be more common: Sie sagt, dass er heute kommt. When the main clause is in the past, the tense in the dass-clause may backshift (e.g., dass er gekommen sei) depending on style and context.

Differences from ob-clauses are notable: dass-clauses express asserted content, while ob-clauses introduce yes–no indirect questions (whether/whether or not). Dass is also used after adjectives and nouns that express certainty, knowledge, or evaluation, as in Es ist klar, dass er recht hat.