In the world of language learning, getting your head around temporal expressions can sometimes feel like a bigger task than it really is. For English speakers wanting to understand how to translate “when” in German, the trio of wann, als, and wenn can initially appear as interchangeable equivalents. However, knowing the rules for when to use each of them is an important topic when learning German.
The Coffee Break German Show is a podcast series of short, friendly conversations in which we discuss tricky German language topics. Join Mark and Thomas in the latest episode to learn how to use wann, als, and wenn with clarity and confidence.
Keep reading to find out more, and we’d recommend listening to the podcast episode as you read. Plus, don’t miss our free worksheet at the end to practise what you learn!
‘Wann’ – the question word
Wann serves as the go-to question word for inquiries regarding time. So, this is the one to use if you want to ask “when?” in either a direct or an indirect question, as wann is used to pinpoint moments, durations, or specific time frames.
As a question word:
Wann filmen wir die nächste Episode?
When are we filming the next episode?
Temporal reference:
Seit wann lebst du in Schottland?
Since when have you been living in Scotland?
Indirect questions:
Ich weiß noch nicht, wann ich morgen Zeit habe.
I don’t know yet when I’ll have time tomorrow.
‘Als’ – the past marker
Als can have various meanings in German. However, when it is translated as “when”, it serves as a temporal marker, particularly signalling events or situations that occurred in the past. It is always within subordinate clauses, giving information about the past. A subordinate clause is part of a sentence which cannot exist on its own. There will always be a main clause with it.
Let’s see some examples of als being used to introduce past events:
Als wir im Restaurant ankamen, hatte es schon geschlossen. / Das Restaurant hatte schon geschlossen, als wir ankamen.
When we arrived at the restaurant, it had already closed.
Als mein Bruder in Dresden lebte, haben wir ihn oft besucht. / Wir haben meinen Bruder oft besucht, als er in Dresden lebte.
When my brother lived in Dresden, we visited him often.
‘Wenn’ – the conditional connector
Wenn takes on the role of a conditional connector, joining subordinate clauses that denote conditions or hypothetical scenarios. It’s another way of saying “when” in German. Wenn is also similar to “if” in English in conditional contexts.
Conditional statements:
Wenn es morgen nicht regnet, gehen wir wandern.
If it is not raining tomorrow, we will go hiking.
Hypothetical scenarios:
Wenn meine Familie zu Besuch kommt, kochen wir zusammen.
When my family comes to visit, we cook together.
Falls can also be used instead of wenn. However, falls implies more doubt and uncertainty than wenn.
Clarifying the distinctions
Understanding the distinctions between wann, als, and wenn will allow you to use these German time words with confidence.
We hope you now feel more confident knowing how to translate “when” into German, depending on the context.
If you found this interesting, make sure to listen to the full episode with Thomas and Mark on The Coffee Break German Show. We regularly upload new episodes for German learners, so make sure to subscribe to our podcast feed and our channel on YouTube so that you never miss a lesson.
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Bis zum nächsten Mal, and happy Coffee Breaking!
