In German, the verb ALWAYS comes in position 2 of a main clause — no matter what starts the sentence. This is the most important rule in German grammar.
English word order is fairly fixed: Subject → Verb → Object. German is more flexible about what starts the sentence, but the verb always locks into position 2.
RULE: Conjugated verb = ALWAYS position 2 in a main clause.
| Position 1 | VERB (pos. 2) | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Ich | lerne | jeden Tag Deutsch. |
| Jeden Tag | lerne | ich Deutsch. |
| Heute | lerne | ich kein Deutsch. |
All mean the same. Verb stays at position 2 — subject moves to position 3 when something else starts the sentence.
In yes/no questions, the verb jumps to position 1:
| W-word | Verb | Subject | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wo | wohnst | du? | |
| Was | machst | du | heute? |
| Wie | heißt | du? | |
| Woher | kommst | du? |