conjunction

dass

that

Dieses Wort verbindet zwei Sätze und zeigt, dass etwas erklärt oder genauer beschrieben wird.

Definition & meaning

The word dass is a subordinating conjunction in German. Its primary function is to introduce a subordinate clause (Nebensatz) that acts as a complement to the main clause, typically functioning as a subject or an object. It translates most directly to the English word "that."

It is frequently used after verbs that express thoughts, statements, feelings, or knowledge, such as:

sagen (to say)
glauben (to believe)
wissen (to know)
hoffen (to hope)

It is also used after impersonal expressions like es ist klar (it is clear) or es ist möglich (it is possible).

A common point of confusion for learners is the difference between dass and das. While they sound exactly the same, das is an article or a relative pronoun (referring to a specific noun), while dass is a conjunction that links an entire thought or action to the main sentence.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammatically, dass is a subjunction. This means it requires the conjugated verb of the subordinate clause to be moved to the final position.

Example: Ich denke, dass er heute kommt. (I think that he is coming today.)

Historically, dass and das share the same root. In Middle High German, the word "daz" was used for both the article and the conjunction. As the language standardized, the spellings diverged to help distinguish their grammatical roles. Until the German orthography reform of 1996, the word was spelled "daß." The current spelling with "ss" reflects the rule that the preceding vowel "a" is short.

Synonyms & antonyms

As a functional grammatical word, dass does not have direct synonyms. However, in many contexts, a clause beginning with dass can be replaced by an infinitive construction using zu, especially if the subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause are the same.

Example:

"Er hofft, dass er gewinnt."
"Er hofft zu gewinnen."

There are no direct antonyms for this conjunction. However, when a sentence expresses doubt or an indirect question instead of a fact, the conjunction ob (whether/if) is used instead.

Example: