TeKaMoLo: German Word Order in the Middle
Arrange when, why, how and where in the right order so your German sentences sound natural.
When a sentence has several extra details, German likes them in a fixed order: time, cause, manner, place. TeKaMoLo is the memory trick.
English often does the opposite and puts time last, which is why 'Ich fahre nach Berlin morgen' sounds wrong to Germans.
Time, cause, manner, place
In the middle of the sentence, adverbials follow this order: when, why, how, where. Each part answers its own question.
The TeKaMoLo order
- Te · wann?morgentime
- Ka · warum?wegen des Streikscause
- Mo · wie?mit dem Fahrradmanner
- Lo · wo? wohin?zur Arbeitplace
Ich fahre morgen wegen des Streiks mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.
Tomorrow I'm cycling to work because of the strike.
Sie ist gestern mit dem Zug nach Wien gefahren.
She went to Vienna by train yesterday.
Two or three parts are normal
Real sentences rarely have all four parts. Just keep their relative order; time before place is the one you'll use most.
Wir treffen uns um sieben im Café.
We're meeting at seven at the café.
Er arbeitet heute zu Hause.
He's working from home today.
Ich gehe abends gern ins Fitnessstudio.
I like going to the gym in the evening.
Where objects fit in
- Pronouns come early, straight after the verb or subject
- Time usually comes before a noun object
- Place usually comes after a noun object
- Dative noun before accusative noun: dem Kind den Ball
Ich habe dir gestern eine Nachricht geschickt.
I sent you a message yesterday.
Ich habe gestern meinen Chef im Supermarkt getroffen.
I met my boss in the supermarket yesterday.
One part in position 1
Any TeKaMoLo part can start the sentence for emphasis. The verb stays second and the rest keeps its order.
Morgen fahre ich mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.
Tomorrow I'm cycling to work.
Wegen des Regens sind wir zu Hause geblieben.
Because of the rain we stayed at home.
Common mistakes
✗
Ich fahre nach Hamburg morgen.✓ Ich fahre morgen nach Hamburg.
Time comes before place.
✗
Wir essen im Restaurant heute Abend.✓ Wir essen heute Abend im Restaurant.
Time comes before place, unlike in English.
✗
Ich gehe zu Fuß jeden Tag zur Schule.✓ Ich gehe jeden Tag zu Fuß zur Schule.
Time comes before manner.
Questions learners ask
Is TeKaMoLo a strict rule?
No, it's a strong default, not a law. Speakers move a part to position 1 or to the end to stress it.
Where does nicht go in a TeKaMoLo sentence?
Nicht usually comes after the time and before manner and place: Ich fahre heute nicht mit dem Auto.