Zeitsätze

Zeitsätze, also known as temporal clauses, are subordinate clauses that indicate the time at which an action or state described in the main clause occurs. They are typically introduced by conjunctions such as when, while, before, after, since, until, as soon as, or by temporal adverbs. These clauses help to establish the sequence of events, duration, or specific timing within a sentence.

In German, Zeitsätze are frequently introduced by conjunctions like als (when, for a past event), wenn (when, for repeated or future events), während (while), bevor (before), nachdem (after), seitdem (since), bis (until), and sobald (as soon as). The verb in a German Zeitsatz usually appears at the end of the clause, a characteristic of subordinate clauses. For example, "Ich gehe ins Bett, nachdem ich meine Zähne geputzt habe" (I go to bed after I have brushed my teeth).

English temporal clauses function similarly, using conjunctions like when, while, before, after, since, until, and as soon as. The verb placement in English temporal clauses follows the standard subject-verb-object order. For instance, "He will call you when he arrives." The relationship between the main clause and the temporal clause is crucial for understanding the overall meaning of the sentence, providing context regarding the temporal relationships between different actions or states.