Concession: obwohl & trotzdem
When you want to say 'even though it's raining, I'm going outside' or 'it was expensive — I bought it anyway,' German gives you two key tools: obwohl and trotzdem. Both express concession, but they work in completely different ways, and mixing them up is one of the most common B1 mistakes.
Obwohl is a subordinating conjunction that pushes the verb to the end of its clause, while trotzdem is a conjunctive adverb that triggers verb-subject inversion when it opens a sentence. Master both and your German will sound far more natural.
obwohl — Although / Even Though
Obwohl is a subordinating conjunction (unterordnende Konjunktion). It introduces a subordinate clause (Nebensatz), which forces the conjugated verb to the very end of that clause.
Structure:
| Position of clause | Example |
|---|---|
| Main clause first | Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es regnet. |
| Obwohl-clause first | Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren. |
When the obwohl-clause comes first, the main clause follows immediately with its verb in second position (verb-second rule) — the subject comes after the verb.
With compound tenses, the past participle and auxiliary both go to the end — the auxiliary comes last:
- Obwohl er viel geschlafen hat, ist er müde. (Although he slept a lot, he is tired.)
trotzdem — Nevertheless / Still / Anyway
Trotzdem is a conjunctive adverb (Konjunktionaladverb). It connects two separate main clauses. When trotzdem appears at position 1 of a sentence, verb-subject inversion applies: the verb comes right after trotzdem, then the subject.
Pattern: Sentence 1. Trotzdem + verb + subject + …
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren. | It's raining. I'm going for a walk anyway. |
| Sie hat wenig Geld. Trotzdem kauft sie das Buch. | She has little money. She still buys the book. |
Mid-sentence trotzdem (not at position 1) follows normal word order — no inversion needed:
- Ich gehe trotzdem spazieren. (I'm going for a walk anyway.)
Remember: Trotzdem never introduces a subordinate clause — the verb stays second, never at the end.
Quick Comparison: obwohl vs. trotzdem
Both words express concession ('even though / despite'), but their grammar is quite different.
| Feature | obwohl | trotzdem |
|---|---|---|
| Word class | Subordinating conjunction | Conjunctive adverb |
| Clause type | Subordinate clause (Nebensatz) | Main clause (Hauptsatz) |
| Verb position | Verb goes to the end | Verb stays second (inversion if trotzdem is first) |
| Punctuation | Comma before obwohl | Period or comma; new clause starts |
| English equivalent | although, even though | nevertheless, still, anyway |
Same meaning — different structure:
| Sentence | Structure |
|---|---|
| Obwohl es kalt ist, gehen wir schwimmen. | One sentence; obwohl-clause + main clause |
| Es ist kalt. Trotzdem gehen wir schwimmen. | Two main clauses; trotzdem opens second |
Both mean: Even though it's cold, we're going swimming.
📖 Examples
Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir spazieren.
Even though it's raining, we're going for a walk.
Er ist sehr müde, obwohl er lange geschlafen hat.
He is very tired even though he slept for a long time.
Obwohl das Restaurant teuer ist, essen wir dort oft.
Although the restaurant is expensive, we often eat there.
Ich mag diesen Film, obwohl er sehr lang ist.
I like this film even though it is very long.
Es ist sehr kalt. Trotzdem spielen die Kinder draußen.
It is very cold. The children are still playing outside.
Sie hat kaum Geld. Trotzdem kauft sie neue Schuhe.
She barely has any money. She still buys new shoes.
Das Wetter war schlecht. Wir sind trotzdem ans Meer gefahren.
The weather was bad. We still went to the beach.
Obwohl er kein Deutsch gesprochen hat, hat er die Prüfung bestanden.
Even though he hadn't spoken German, he passed the exam.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Obwohl es regnet, ich gehe spazieren.Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren.
When an obwohl-clause comes first, the main clause must use verb-second order. The verb 'gehe' must come before the subject 'ich', not after it.
Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es stark regnen.Ich gehe spazieren, obwohl es stark regnet.
The verb in an obwohl-clause must be conjugated and placed at the very end. Use 'regnet' (conjugated, 3rd person singular), not the infinitive 'regnen'.
Es regnet. Trotzdem ich gehe spazieren.Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.
When 'trotzdem' opens a sentence (position 1), verb-subject inversion is required. The verb 'gehe' must come directly after 'trotzdem', before the subject 'ich'.
Obwohl es kalt ist, aber ich trage keine Jacke.Obwohl es kalt ist, trage ich keine Jacke.
Never add 'aber' after an obwohl-clause. The concession is fully expressed by 'obwohl' alone. Adding 'aber' is redundant and makes the sentence ungrammatical.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which sentence has the correct word order with 'obwohl'?
Which sentence correctly uses 'trotzdem' at the start of a clause?
Choose the correct German translation of: 'She is sick. She still comes to the party.'
Which sentence is grammatically incorrect?
How do you correctly say 'Although the coffee is cold, I'm drinking it'?
Where can 'trotzdem' appear in a sentence WITHOUT causing verb-subject inversion?
Obwohl er viel Geld ___, kauft er nie teure Sachen. (haben)
Es schneit stark. Trotzdem ___ die Kinder in den Park. (gehen)
Ich bleibe zu Hause, obwohl das Wetter heute schön ___. (sein)
Sie hat den ganzen Tag gearbeitet. Trotzdem ___ sie nicht müde. (sein)