Question

Whats the difference between a German and English sentence? Like the different placements.

Answer 1

Simple sentences are sometimes similar in word order in both German and English.

Examples that are simple sentences, but literally translated are in a different order than English:

I have lived in Germany for three years.:

Ich habe seit drei Jahren in Deutschland gewohnt.

I get tired when I don’t eat well:

Ich werde müde, wenn ich nicht gut esse.

Answer 2

A simple main clause in German can be written with the same word order as English:

Ich gab dem Jungen einen Ball.

I gave the boy a ball.

However, unlike in English, the word order in a main clause can also be rearranged to emphasize something other than the subject by putting it first – so long as the conjugated verb remains in the second position:

Einen Ball gab ich dem Jungen.

I gave the boy a ball. (as opposed to giving him something else)

Dem Jungen gab ich einen Ball.

I gave the boy a ball. (as opposed to giving it to someone else)