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German word order trips up almost every English speaker because the verb doesn't always sit where English puts it. These free games and explanations build the verb-second instinct, the time-manner-place rhythm, and the verb-final reflex for subordinate clauses.
Main clauses follow the verb-second rule (V2): the conjugated verb is always in second position, no matter what comes first. 'Ich gehe heute ins Kino' / 'Heute gehe ich ins Kino' / 'Ins Kino gehe ich heute' are all correct — the verb stays second.
Adverbials follow the time-manner-place order: when, then how, then where. 'Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin' (when → how → where). It's a soft rule, but following it makes you sound dramatically more natural.
In subordinate clauses (after weil, dass, wenn, obwohl, etc.), the conjugated verb jumps to the very end: 'Ich bleibe zuhause, weil ich krank bin.' This is the single rule learners forget most often, and getting it right is one of the clearest signals of intermediate-to-advanced German.
In a main clause, the conjugated verb always sits in the second position — no matter which element comes first. 'Heute esse ich Pizza' (today, eat, I, pizza) and 'Ich esse heute Pizza' are both correct because esse stays in slot two.
At the very end. After conjunctions like weil, dass, wenn, obwohl, ob, als, bevor, nachdem, the conjugated verb jumps to the end: 'Ich gehe nach Hause, weil ich müde bin.' This is the single biggest word-order rule learners forget.
When you stack adverbials in a sentence, German prefers the order time → manner → place. 'Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin' (tomorrow → by train → to Berlin). It's a soft rule, but following it instantly makes your German sound more native.