“Weil” und “Denn”

The words “weil” and “denn” have virtually the same meaning. They both mean “because”.

They can both be used as conjunctions – to make compound sentences.

“Weil” requires a change in sentence structure while “denn” does not.

So….why can’t we just use “denn” if it’s easier?

Well…. “weil” is used more often and is a more “modern” word.

“Denn” is a more “old-fashioned” way of speaking.

So……

• Right now, you know how to say these 2 sentences separately.– “Ich kann leider nicht.” – “Ich muss meine Hausaufgaben machen.”

• Using “weil” or “denn” allows you to put the sentences together into a compound sentence. Now you can sound “echt stark”

Zum Beispiel

• Using denn – in between the 2 sentences, insert a comma, the word “denn” and the rest of the sentence remains unchanged.

– “Ich kann leider nicht.” – “Ich muss meine Hausaufgaben machen.”

• “Ich kann leider nicht, denn ich muss meine Hausaufgaben machen.”

Zum Beispiel….

• Using weil – in between the 2 sentences, insert a comma, the word “weil” and move the conjugate verb to the very end of the sentence. The rest of the sentence remains unchanged.

– “Ich kann leider nicht.” – “Ich muss meine Hausaufgaben machen.”

• “Ich kann leider nicht, weil ich meine Hausaufgaben machen muss.”

So, whether you use the more modern “weil”,

Or “denn”,

You can now sound “echt stark!”