German Comma Rules: The Complete Guide to Getting Them Right

Comma placement is one of the most common error sources in German essays. But the rules are actually logical once you understand them.

Rule 1: Before Subordinate Clauses

A subordinate clause is introduced by a conjunction (weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, als, etc.) and always requires a comma. "Ich lerne, weil ich gute Noten möchte."

Rule 2: In Enumerations

Items in a list are separated by commas: "Ich brauche Brot, Butter, Käse und Milch." Note: No comma before "und" in German (unlike in English with the Oxford comma).

Rule 3: Before Infinitive Clauses with "zu"

Extended infinitive clauses get a comma: "Er versuchte, die Aufgabe zu lösen." Short ones can omit it, but it's never wrong to include it.

Rule 4: Relative Clauses

Relative clauses always get commas: "Der Lehrer, der Mathe unterrichtet, ist sehr nett."

*Our tip: Read your text aloud. Where you naturally pause, there's usually a comma. This doesn't replace knowing the rules, but it's a useful check.*