German Concessive Clauses with *obwohl* and *trotzdem*

In Brief

Use obwohl (“although”) to introduce a subordinate clause, with its conjugated verb at the end: Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren. Use trotzdem (“nevertheless,” “even so”) in a main clause; if it comes first, the conjugated verb follows immediately: Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren. Both signal that the result is surprising in view of another fact.

Overview

German uses concessive structures to acknowledge a fact that might normally lead you to expect a different result. Here, concessive simply means “admitting that something is true while showing that it does not prevent something else.” If it is raining, you might expect someone to stay home. Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren tells you that the expected result does not happen.

At B1, the key distinction is not meaning alone but sentence structure. Obwohl is a subordinating conjunction (a linking word that introduces a dependent part of a sentence), so it sends the conjugated verb to the end of its clause. Trotzdem is an adverb (a word that comments on or connects the situation); it occupies a normal position in a main clause, where German keeps the conjugated verb in second position.

English often translates obwohl as “although,” “though,” or “even though,” and trotzdem as “nevertheless,” “nonetheless,” “still,” or “even so.” These translations help with meaning, but German word order must be learned with the German connector.

How It Works

Obwohl: one sentence with a subordinate clause

The basic pattern is:

Clause order	German pattern
Main clause first	main clause + , obwohl + subject + other elements + conjugated verb
Obwohl clause first	Obwohl + subject + other elements + conjugated verb , conjugated verb + subject + other elements

A subordinate clause cannot normally stand alone. It supplies background that the main clause contrasts with:

• Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es regnet. — I am going for a walk although it is raining.
• Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren. — Although it is raining, I am going for a walk.

When the obwohl clause comes first, the whole subordinate clause counts as position one in the following main clause. The main-clause verb therefore comes directly after the comma: Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich ..., not ..., ich gehe ....

Verb groups at the end

With a modal verb, perfect tense, separable verb, or passive construction, the verbal elements collect at the end according to the usual subordinate-clause rules:

Construction	Example	What happens at the end?
Modal verb	obwohl ich nicht schlafen kann	infinitive + conjugated modal
Perfect tense	obwohl er spät angekommen ist	past participle + auxiliary
Separable verb	obwohl sie früh aufsteht	prefix and verb remain joined
Passive	obwohl das Problem gelöst wurde	participle + passive auxiliary

Trotzdem: a connector inside a main clause

Trotzdem refers back to a fact already mentioned or understood. The sentence containing it remains a main clause, so the finite verb—the verb carrying tense and person—stays in position two.

Position of trotzdem	Pattern	Example
First	Trotzdem + verb + subject + ...	Trotzdem arbeitet er weiter.
Middle	subject + verb + trotzdem + ...	Er arbeitet trotzdem weiter.

Compare the two first-position patterns:

• Obwohl er müde ist, arbeitet er weiter.
• Er ist müde. Trotzdem arbeitet er weiter.

The meaning is close, but the grammar is different. Obwohl makes its own clause dependent and verb-final. Trotzdem does not create a subordinate clause; it links a regular main clause to the preceding idea.

Choosing between them

Ask what kind of structure you want:

Communicative choice	Use	Model
Present the obstacle as background within one sentence	obwohl	Obwohl der Weg lang ist, laufen wir weiter.
State the obstacle, then emphasize the unexpected result	trotzdem	Der Weg ist lang. Trotzdem laufen wir weiter.
Add the contrast less emphatically inside the result clause	trotzdem in the middle	Wir laufen trotzdem weiter.

Do not normally use obwohl and trotzdem as a matched pair in the same basic sentence. Unlike English “although ..., still ...,” standard German usually needs only one concessive signal: Obwohl es kalt ist, gehen wir raus.

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren.	Although it is raining, I’m going for a walk.	The obwohl clause comes first.
Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es regnet.	I’m going for a walk although it is raining.	The main clause comes first.
Er ist müde, trotzdem arbeitet er.	He is tired; nevertheless, he is working.	Trotzdem takes first position in the second main clause.
Obwohl ich müde bin, kann ich nicht schlafen.	Although I’m tired, I can’t sleep.	bin is final; kann begins the main clause.
Das Hotel war teuer. Trotzdem waren alle Zimmer belegt.	The hotel was expensive. Even so, every room was occupied.	The second statement contradicts an expectation.
Sie fährt mit dem Fahrrad, obwohl sie ein Auto hat.	She rides her bike although she has a car.	The background clause follows the main clause.
Obwohl der Zug Verspätung hatte, kamen wir pünktlich an.	Although the train was delayed, we arrived on time.	Separable ankommen appears as kamen ... an in the main clause.
Ich habe wenig Zeit. Ich helfe dir trotzdem.	I have little time. I’ll help you anyway.	Trotzdem can appear after the verb.
Obwohl er lange in Berlin gelebt hat, spricht er kaum Deutsch.	Although he lived in Berlin for a long time, he hardly speaks German.	Perfect-tense elements stand at the end.
Der Plan ist riskant. Wir wollen ihn trotzdem ausprobieren.	The plan is risky. We still want to try it.	With a modal, trotzdem sits in the middle field.
Obwohl das Geschäft schon geschlossen war, brannte noch Licht.	Although the shop was already closed, a light was still on.	Past-tense contrast in a narrative.
Sie kannte niemanden auf der Feier. Trotzdem blieb sie bis Mitternacht.	She knew nobody at the party. Nevertheless, she stayed until midnight.	A separate sentence gives trotzdem extra emphasis.
Obwohl die Aufgabe schwierig aussieht, lässt sie sich schnell lösen.	Although the task looks difficult, it can be solved quickly.	Appearance contrasts with the actual result.

Common Mistakes

1. Keeping main-clause order after obwohl

• Wrong: Obwohl es regnet, ich gehe spazieren.
• Right: Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren.
• Why: The initial subordinate clause fills the first position. The main-clause verb must immediately follow the comma.

2. Putting the verb second inside the obwohl clause

• Wrong: Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es regnet heute.
• Right: Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es heute regnet.
• Why: Obwohl sends the conjugated verb to the end of its subordinate clause.

3. Treating trotzdem like a subordinating conjunction

• Wrong: Es regnet. Trotzdem ich gehe spazieren.
• Right: Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.
• Why: Trotzdem is an adverb in a main clause. When it is first, the verb—not the subject—comes next.

4. Using both connectors mechanically

• Awkward: Obwohl es regnet, trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.
• Right: Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren.
• Also right: Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.
• Why: In neutral standard German, choose either an obwohl structure or a trotzdem structure. Doubling can occur for marked emphasis in real usage, but it is not the safe B1 pattern.

5. Confusing trotzdem with deshalb

• Wrong meaning: Es regnet. Deshalb gehe ich spazieren.
• Intended contrast: Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.
• Why: Deshalb means “therefore” and introduces an expected consequence. Trotzdem introduces a result that holds despite the first fact.

6. Forgetting the comma

• Wrong: Obwohl ich müde bin kann ich nicht schlafen.
• Right: Obwohl ich müde bin, kann ich nicht schlafen.
• Why: A German subordinate clause is separated from its main clause by a comma, whichever clause comes first.

Usage Notes

Choosing an English translation

There is no single translation that fits every context. Obwohl is often “although” or “even though”; “though” may sound more natural when the clause comes later. Trotzdem can be “nevertheless” in formal writing, but “still,” “even so,” or “anyway” is often more natural in conversation. The German syntax does not change with the English wording.

Information flow and emphasis

An initial obwohl clause prepares the reader for a surprising main result: Obwohl es spät war, gingen wir noch essen. A final obwohl clause adds the obstacle after stating the result: Wir gingen noch essen, obwohl es spät war. Both are neutral and common.

Starting a new sentence with Trotzdem makes the turn in the argument especially clear. This is useful in speech, emails, reports, and essays. Mid-clause trotzdem is often less dramatic: Wir gingen trotzdem noch essen.

Punctuation

Use a comma between a main clause and an obwohl clause. With two independent clauses linked by trotzdem, you can use a full stop: Es war spät. Trotzdem blieben wir. A semicolon is also possible in careful writing. If you write the two clauses in one sentence, a comma may separate them: Es war spät, trotzdem blieben wir.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Auch wenn, obgleich, and obschon

Auch wenn can also mean “even though,” especially when the condition-like flavor of wenn is useful: Auch wenn es schwierig ist, mache ich weiter. In context, it can also mean “even if,” referring to a possibility rather than an established fact. Obwohl more straightforwardly presents the obstacle as a fact.

Obgleich and obschon follow the same verb-final pattern as obwohl: Obgleich die Frist kurz war, reichten alle den Antrag ein. They are less frequent and tend to sound formal, literary, or old-fashioned. Recognizing them is more important than using them in everyday conversation.

Zwar ... aber

The pair zwar ... aber expresses a related contrast: Der Kurs ist zwar anstrengend, aber sehr nützlich (“The course is demanding, but very useful”). Zwar acknowledges the first point; aber gives the more important counterpoint. Both parts usually keep main-clause word order. This construction does not present one clause as subordinate in the way obwohl does.

Noun phrases with trotz

The preposition trotz expresses the same basic idea before a noun: Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren (“Despite the rain, we are going for a walk”). In formal standard German, trotz commonly takes the genitive case—the noun form used here to mark its relationship to the preposition—as in trotz des Regens. Dative forms occur in everyday and regional usage, but learning the standard genitive pattern is safest for formal writing.

Compare the three structures:

Structure	German	English
Conjunction + clause	Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir spazieren.	Although it is raining, we are going for a walk.
Adverb + main clause	Es regnet. Trotzdem gehen wir spazieren.	It is raining. Nevertheless, we are going for a walk.
Preposition + noun phrase	Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren.	Despite the rain, we are going for a walk.

Spoken afterthoughts

In conversation, speakers sometimes attach obwohl and then revise or qualify what they just said: Der Film war gut. Obwohl — das Ende war ziemlich schwach. This “though—actually” use is an afterthought rather than the regular subordinate-clause pattern. It is useful to recognize, but it should not replace standard verb-final obwohl clauses in careful speech or writing.

Practice Tips

1. Transform pairs in both directions. Start with Es ist kalt. Trotzdem sitzen wir draußen. Then rewrite it as Obwohl es kalt ist, sitzen wir draußen. This trains meaning and word order together.
2. Mark the verbs. Underline the final verb in every obwohl clause and circle the position-two verb after initial trotzdem. Include examples with modals and the perfect tense.
3. Predict, then contradict. Choose an everyday fact, name the expected result, and create a surprising result: “I was tired → I went out.” Say it once with obwohl and once with trotzdem.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subordinate Clauses with weil and dass — review verb-final word order before adding obwohl.