When you want to level up your German and stop speaking in short, choppy sentences, words like deshalb (therefore), trotzdem (nevertheless), and außerdem (furthermore) are your best friends.
However, because they often translate to simple English words like “so,” “but,” and “also,” English speakers constantly plug them into the wrong sentence structure. Here are the three most common mistakes learners make with these conjunctive adverbs, and exactly how to fix them.
1. The “Position 0” Trap (No Inversion)
This is the biggest mistake intermediate learners make. In English, we say: “I am tired, therefore I go to bed.” If you translate that word-for-word into German, you put the Subject (ich) before the Verb (gehe).
But deshalb, trotzdem, and außerdem are Adverbs, which means they take up Position 1. The verb must immediately follow them in Position 2.
- The Mistake: Ich bin müde, deshalb ich gehe ins Bett. ❌
- The Fix: Swap the verb and subject!
- Correct: Ich bin müde, deshalb gehe ich ins Bett. ✅
2. The “Weil” Trap (Verb at the End)
Once students learn that weil (because) kicks the verb to the very end of the sentence, they start doing it with every connecting word.
But deshalb is a conjunctive adverb, not a subordinating conjunction like weil. It does not push the verb to the end of the sentence.
- The Mistake: Ich habe kein Geld, deshalb ich nicht ins Kino gehe. ❌
- The Fix: Keep the verb firmly in Position 2.
- Correct: Ich habe kein Geld, deshalb gehe ich nicht ins Kino. ✅
3. Confusing “Trotzdem” and “Obwohl”
Both of these words express a contrast, but they have completely different mathematical rules for sentence structure.
- Obwohl (Although): Sets up the condition. It kicks the verb to the very end.
- Trotzdem (Nevertheless/Anyway): Shows the surprising result. It forces inversion (Verb in Position 2).
If you mix up the grammar rules of these two words, your sentence will sound completely backwards to a German speaker.
| Word | Meaning | Grammar Rule | Example |
| Obwohl | Although | Verb goes to the end | Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren. |
| Trotzdem | Nevertheless | Verb stays in Pos. 2 | Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren. |
4. The Run-On Sentence (Punctuation)
In English, we often use a comma before “so” or “also.” In German, while you can use a comma before deshalb, it is often better style to separate the two thoughts entirely.
Because außerdem, deshalb, and trotzdem are fully functioning adverbs, they are strong enough to start their own brand-new sentence after a period.
- Good: Das Auto ist zu teuer, außerdem ist es zu klein.
- Better: Das Auto ist zu teuer. Außerdem ist es zu klein. (Using a period makes it much easier to remember the inversion!).
Final Thoughts
Mistakes with deshalb, trotzdem, and außerdem usually aren’t vocabulary problems; they are “muscle memory” problems. Your brain naturally wants to use English word order. By intentionally practicing the [Adverb] + [Verb] + [Subject] rhythm, you will break that habit and sound instantly more fluent.