Multiple Embedded Subordinate Clauses

Level 5

Multiple embedded subordinate clauses (Hypotaxe) involve placing one dependent clause inside another. This creates a hierarchical structure where you must finish the inner thought before completing the outer one.

How It Works

Advanced German writing, particularly in academic, legal, and literary contexts, utilizes complex embedding to show precise logical relationships.

1. The 'Russian Doll' Structure:
A sentence starts with a main clause, but before the main verb appears, a subordinate clause is inserted. That subordinate clause might itself be interrupted by another clause (like a relative clause).

2. Verb Stacking:
Because German uses Verb-Final order for most subordinate clauses, multiple verbs will 'stack' at the end of the sentence. The verbs appear in the reverse order of their subjects (the verb for the innermost clause comes first in the stack).

3. Punctuation Rules:
German requires obligatory commas to fence off every single clause. If a clause is embedded in the middle of another, it must have a comma at both its start and its end.

4. Stylistic Limits:
While this structure demonstrates a high level of proficiency, embedding more than three levels deep is generally avoided as it becomes difficult for the reader to track the original subject.

Examples (3)

  1. Der Brief, den er, nachdem er lange gezögert hatte, endlich schrieb, blieb unbeantwortet.

    The letter, which he, after he had hesitated for a long time, finally wrote, remained unanswered.

    Word by Word: The letter, which he, after he long hesitated had, finally wrote, remained unanswered.

    Here, the relative clause 'den er... schrieb' is interrupted by the temporal clause 'nachdem er... hatte'. Note the comma placement: 'hatte' ends the inner clause and 'schrieb' ends the relative clause.

  2. Es ist wichtig, dass die Ergebnisse, obwohl sie vorläufig sind, da sie auf einer kleinen Stichprobe basieren, dennoch veröffentlicht werden.

    It is important that the results, although they are preliminary, since they are based on a small sample, are nevertheless published.

    Word by Word: It is important, that the results, although they preliminary are, since they on a small sample base, nevertheless published become.

    This shows three levels: 1. 'dass' clause, 2. 'obwohl' clause, 3. 'da' clause. Each must be resolved before returning to the previous level.

  3. Die Frau, der ich das Buch, das ich gestern gekauft habe, geschenkt habe, hat sich sehr gefreut.

    The woman to whom I gave the book that I bought yesterday was very happy.

    Word by Word: The woman, to-whom I the book, that I yesterday bought have, given have, has herself very rejoiced.

    This uses nested relative clauses. The innermost clause 'das ich... gekauft habe' is completed before finishing the outer relative clause 'der ich... geschenkt habe'.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the closing comma of an embedded clause.

    Der Mann, der dort steht ist mein Vater.
    Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Vater.

    In German, every subordinate clause must be fully enclosed by commas. English speakers often forget the second comma before the main verb.

  • Misplacing the verb of the outer clause.

    Dass er, weil er krank war, konnte nicht kommen, ist schade.
    Dass er, weil er krank war, nicht kommen konnte, ist schade.

    The verb of the 'dass' clause (konnte) must come after the entire 'weil' clause is finished, following the verb-final rule for subordinate clauses.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Multiple Embedded Subordinate ClausesLevel 5

Learn This First

To learn complex embedding, you must first be comfortable with the verb-final word order of single subordinate and relative clauses. You also need to understand the concept of the 'sentence bracket' (Satzklammer), as nesting multiple clauses creates a series of brackets that must be closed in the correct order.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.