what is it?
A concessive relation signals that a result holds despite an obstacle or contrary expectation. German expresses this with several overlapping tools: the subordinating conjunction obwohl (and its formal variant obgleich), which introduces a dependent clause; the adverbial connector trotzdem (and its formal near-synonym dennoch), which links two main clauses; the preposition trotz followed by a genitive noun phrase; the two-part frame zwar … aber; and the conditional-concessive selbst wenn / auch wenn («even if»). Choosing between them depends on whether you are working with a clause or a noun phrase, and on the register you are targeting.
when to use it
obwohl / obgleich — use when the concession is expressed as a full finite clause. The verb moves to the end of the subordinate clause. Obgleich is more formal and common in writing.
trotzdem / dennoch — use to connect two independent main clauses. These are adverbs, not conjunctions: they occupy the first position of the second clause and trigger inversion (verb before subject). Dennoch is more formal.
trotz + genitive — use when the concessive element is a noun phrase rather than a clause. In colloquial speech, dative is also heard, but genitive is the standard written form.
zwar … aber — use to set up an acknowledged fact (zwar) and then qualify or contradict it (aber). Both halves are main clauses. Dropping aber leaves the sentence incomplete.
selbst wenn / auch wenn — use for a conditional concession («even if»). The speaker grants a hypothetical or real condition and asserts that the main-clause result holds regardless. The verb goes to the end of the wenn-clause.
formation
The table below summarises the syntactic role, the case or clause type required, and the word-order consequence of each connector.
| connector | syntactic role | governs | word order in second / main clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| obwohl / obgleich | subordinating conjunction | finite verb-final clause | verb-second in main clause |
| trotzdem / dennoch | adverbial connector | preceding main clause | inversion: verb before subject |
| trotz | preposition | genitive noun phrase | normal main-clause order |
| zwar … aber | two-part frame | two main clauses | verb-second in both clauses |
| selbst wenn / auch wenn | subordinating conjunction | finite verb-final clause | verb-second in main clause |
For trotz, the genitive ending on the noun phrase follows standard genitive rules. Masculine and neuter singular nouns add -(e)s; the article changes from der/das to des, and from die to der (feminine and plural). Example: trotz des Verbots, trotz der Kälte, trotz der Probleme.
When trotzdem opens the second clause, inversion is obligatory: Es regnete. Trotzdem gingen wir spazieren. The verb gingen immediately follows trotzdem, and the subject wir comes after.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using trotz before a finite clause. Trotz is a preposition and must be followed by a noun phrase, not a clause. ✗ Trotz es verboten war, … is not standard German. Use obwohl when you have a subject and a verb: ✓ Obwohl es verboten war, …
Treating trotzdem as a subordinating conjunction. Trotzdem is an adverb, not a conjunction. It cannot open a dependent clause with verb-final order. ✗ Trotzdem es regnete, gingen wir spazieren. is non-standard. Use obwohl for a subordinate clause, or keep trotzdem as an adverb in the second main clause: ✓ Es regnete. Trotzdem gingen wir spazieren.
Dropping aber after zwar. Zwar signals that a concession is coming and requires aber (or occasionally jedoch / doch) to complete the frame. ✗ Zwar war das Hotel teuer. leaves the listener waiting for the contrast. ✓ Zwar war das Hotel teuer, aber es hat sich gelohnt.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
___ das neue Betriebssystem alle Fehler behebt, werde ich meinen alten Laptop nicht sofort ersetzen.
Fill in the blank with the correct two-word connector.