conjunction

wenn

if · when

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Definition & meaning

wenn is a German subordinating conjunction with several related meanings:

“if” — introduces a condition.
- Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. — “If it rains, we will stay at home.”
- Ich helfe dir, wenn du mich brauchst. — “I will help you if you need me.”
“when” — refers to a repeated, habitual, or future event.
- Wenn ich Zeit habe, lese ich ein Buch. — “When I have time, I read a book.”
- Wenn du ankommst, ruf mich an. — “When you arrive, call me.”
“whenever” — describes something that happens every time a particular situation occurs.
- Wenn ich dieses Lied höre, muss ich lachen. — “Whenever I hear this song, I have to laugh.”

For unreal or hypothetical conditions, wenn is often used with the subjunctive:

Wenn ich mehr Geld hätte, würde ich reisen. — “If I had more money, I would travel.”

Grammar & Word origin

wenn is a subordinating conjunction. In a subordinate clause introduced by wenn, the conjugated verb usually comes at the end:

Wenn er morgen kommt, sprechen wir mit ihm. — “When/if he comes tomorrow, we will speak with him.”

The subordinate clause can come before or after the main clause:

Wenn du möchtest, können wir anfangen.
Wir können anfangen, wenn du möchtest.

The word is related historically to wann, meaning “when,” but the two words have different grammatical functions:

wenn introduces a subordinate clause: Wenn er kommt, essen wir. — “When he comes, we will eat.”
wann is used in direct and indirect questions: Wann kommt er? — “When is he coming?”

Historically, wenn developed from older Germanic forms related to expressions meaning “when” or “at what time.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Depending on its meaning, wenn can be replaced by:

falls — “if,” often emphasizing that something is only a possibility. It is usually more conditional and less neutral than wenn.
- Falls du Zeit hast, komm vorbei. — “If you happen to have time, come over.”
sofern — “provided that” or “as long as.” It sounds more formal and expresses a specific condition.
- Sofern alle zustimmen, beginnen wir morgen. — “Provided that everyone agrees, we will begin tomorrow.”
sobald — “as soon as.” Unlike wenn, it emphasizes that one event follows immediately after another.
- Sobald er ankommt, rufe ich dich an. — “As soon as he arrives, I will call you.”
immer wenn — “whenever.” This is a more explicit form of wenn for repeated events.

There is no single direct antonym of wenn. In some contexts, a contrasting conjunction such as obwohl (“although”) may express an opposing relationship, but it does not have the same grammatical meaning.

Common phrases & collocations

wenn möglich — if possible
wenn nötig — if necessary
wenn überhaupt — if at all
wenn auch — even if; although
wenn schon, denn schon — if we are doing it, we might as well do it properly
Wenn ich du wäre — If I were you
Wenn das so ist — If that is the case
jedes Mal, wenn — every time that; whenever