deshalb and trotzdem

deshalb gives a logical result, trotzdem an unexpected one. Both are adverbs, so when they start a clause, the verb comes straight after them.

By the Desi European Tales editorial team · Updated 1 November 2026

Meaning: expected or unexpected result

Both words connect two main clauses. The first clause gives a situation; the second gives a result.

deshalb (that's why, so, therefore) – the result is expected: Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. – I'm ill, so I'm staying at home.
trotzdem (anyway, nevertheless, still) – the result is unexpected: Ich bin krank, trotzdem gehe ich zur Arbeit. – I'm ill, but I'm going to work anyway.

deswegen, darum and daher mean the same as deshalb. deswegen and darum are common in speech, daher is a little more formal.

Der Bus hatte Verspätung, deswegen bin ich zu spät gekommen. – The bus was late, that's why I was late.
Er hat viel geübt. Trotzdem hat er die Prüfung nicht bestanden. – He practised a lot. Still, he didn't pass the exam.

Word order: the verb comes next

deshalb and trotzdem are adverbs, not conjunctions. When they start a clause, they fill position 1, so the conjugated verb follows immediately and the subject moves behind it. They can also stand in the middle of the clause, after the verb and the subject.

Position 1	Verb	Subject	Rest
Deshalb	suchen	wir	eine neue Wohnung.
Trotzdem	gehen	wir	spazieren.
Wir	suchen	–	deshalb eine neue Wohnung.
Er	geht	–	trotzdem ohne Jacke.

A comma or a full stop separates the two clauses. After und or aber, the rule stays the same, because und and aber do not count as a position: Die Miete ist hoch, und deshalb suchen wir eine neue Wohnung.

Compared with weil, denn and obwohl

The same idea can be expressed in three ways, each with its own word order:

Type	Word	Example
adverb: verb next	deshalb	Es regnet, deshalb nehme ich den Bus.
conjunction: normal order	denn	Ich nehme den Bus, denn es regnet.
subordinate: verb at the end	weil	Ich nehme den Bus, weil es regnet.
adverb: verb next	trotzdem	Es regnet, trotzdem gehe ich zu Fuß.
subordinate: verb at the end	obwohl	Ich gehe zu Fuß, obwohl es regnet.

Notice that weil and denn stand before the reason, while deshalb stands before the result. In the same way, obwohl introduces the obstacle, and trotzdem introduces what happens anyway.

Tips

Practise the pattern aloud: deshalb + verb + subject. Deshalb lerne ich, deshalb arbeite ich, deshalb bleibe ich.
After an obwohl-clause, trotzdem cannot stand in position 1. It can follow the verb for extra emphasis: Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich trotzdem spazieren. In writing, one connector is usually enough.
In emails, deshalb is a polite way to explain a request: Ich habe nächste Woche eine Prüfung, deshalb kann ich leider nicht zum Termin kommen.

Common mistakes

Not quite	Correct	Why
Ich bin müde, deshalb ich gehe ins Bett.	Ich bin müde, deshalb gehe ich ins Bett.	deshalb takes position 1, so the verb follows straight after it.
Es regnet, trotzdem wir gehen spazieren.	Es regnet, trotzdem gehen wir spazieren.	trotzdem is an adverb in position 1: verb next, then subject.
Ich bin krank, trotzdem bleibe ich zu Hause.	Ich bin krank, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.	Staying at home is the expected result of being ill, so use deshalb.
Obwohl es regnet, trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.	Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren.	After an obwohl-clause, the main clause starts with the verb; trotzdem cannot take position 1 there.

Practice questions

Practise it in the course

Back to the grammar reference or to the A2 lessons.

Sources

Original practice questions written by the Desi European Tales editorial team; they are not the official exam questions. Checked 1 November 2026.

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