dann. Then. What comes next.
dann means "then." It shows sequence: first this happens, then that happens. Unlike weil or wenn, it does not send the verb to the end. It is an adverb, not a conjunction.
The key difference: adverb, not conjunction
The conjunctions in this blog series (weil, wenn, dass) all move the verb to the end of the clause. dann does not do this. It is an adverb. It adds information but leaves the verb exactly where it normally sits.
| Type | Example | Verb position |
|---|---|---|
| Conjunction (weil) | ..., weil ich müde bin. | End of clause |
| Adverb (dann) | Ich gehe dann nach Hause. | Position 2 (normal) |
dann in the middle of a sentence
When dann sits inside a sentence rather than at the front, it slips into a middle position. The verb stays in position 2, as normal. The word order does not change.
| Subject | Verb | dann | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ich | lerne | dann | Deutsch. |
| Wir | gehen | dann | ins Restaurant. |
| Er | schläft | dann | ein. |
dann at the start: subject and verb swap
German has one firm rule: the verb always stays in position 2. When dann moves to position 1 (the front of the sentence), the verb follows immediately in position 2, and the subject moves behind it. This is called inversion, and it happens any time something other than the subject takes the first slot.
| Position 1 | Verb (pos. 2) | Subject | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dann | gehe | ich | nach Hause. |
| Dann | essen | wir | zusammen. |
| Dann | schläft | er | ein. |
| Dann | fahren | wir | nach Berlin. |
The verb is always in position 2. When dann goes first, subject and verb swap. The verb does not go to the end.
erst... dann: first... then
One of the most natural patterns in German is erst... dann...: first one thing, then another. Both halves follow the same inversion rule when they open their sentences.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Erst lerne ich, dann schlafe ich. | First I study, then I sleep. |
| Erst arbeite ich, dann gehe ich ins Gym. | First I work, then I go to the gym. |
| Erst trinken wir Kaffee, dann beginnen wir. | First we have coffee, then we start. |
A full sequence with dann
Here is what a natural sequence looks like in German. Each sentence stands on its own. dann links them in order without changing any grammar rules.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich dusche um 7 Uhr. | I shower at 7. |
| Dann frühstücke ich. | Then I have breakfast. |
| Dann fahre ich zur Arbeit. | Then I go to work. |
| Dann lerne ich Deutsch. | Then I study German. |
The verb-last rule that dann avoids: weil. The verb goes last. How inversion works more broadly: wenn. When or if: the verb goes last. The bigger picture on adverbs: Adverbien. They never change.