What is the difference between using als and wenn?

Als is used for a sentence that is in the past, for example 'als ich jünger war...' when I was younger. Wenn is used to mean 'if or when' and often has a conditional sense, for example 'wenn ich mehr Geld hätte', meaning 'if I had more money.' Note that 'als' can have other meaning and can be used in a comparative sense as 'than' or 'as' (for example better than...).

JF
Answered by Jennifer F. German tutor

24499 Views

See similar German A Level tutors

Related German A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is the pluperfect tense in German and how do I form it ?


Translate the following text into German


Where does the main (auxiliary) verb go in a subordinating clause when the perfect tense is formed with a modal verb?


What is the „Plusquamperfekt, how do you use it and how can you tell it apart from the „Perfekt“?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning