Where does the verb go?
Build a clear German statement, even when you begin with a time or place.
In a German main statement, the finite verb normally occupies the second position. A position can contain several words, so count chunks of meaning rather than individual words.
- Ich arbeite heute. — I am working today.
- Heute arbeite ich. — Today I am working.
- Am Montag arbeite ich zu Hause. — On Monday I work at home.
When a time phrase comes first, the subject follows the verb. English usually keeps the subject before the verb in a statement; German changes that order.