Complex Word Order: Time-Manner-Place

Think of your sentence as a train. The verb is the engine sitting at position two. The rest of the information follows a strict seating chart. This chart ensures that the most important context comes first. Usually, "When" is more important than "Where" in the German mind. If you mix these up, people will still understand you. However, you might sound a bit like a robot or a very confused tourist. The TeKaMoLo rule organizes the "middle field" of the sentence. This is the space between your conjugated verb and any other verbs. It provides a logical progression from time to reason to method to location. It feels balanced to a German ear. It builds a story step by step.

1. 1To build a perfect sentence, follow these four steps in order:
2. 2Temporal (Time): Start with wann (when) or wie lange (how long). Examples: heute, um 8 Uhr, letztes Jahr.
3. 3Kausal (Cause): Next is warum (why). Examples: wegen des Regens, aus Liebe, dank deiner Hilfe.
4. 4Modal (Manner): Then comes wie (how). Examples: mit dem Auto, schnell, gerne, mit viel Geduld.
5. 5Lokal (Place): Finally, add wo (where) or wohin (where to). Examples: nach Berlin, im Park, zu Hause.
6. 6Let's see it in action: Ich fahre (Verb) heute (Time) wegen des Termins (Cause) schnell (Manner) nach München (Place).

Use this pattern in the "Mittelfeld" (middle field) of your sentence. It is perfect for storytelling or explaining your day. Use it when you want to provide a neutral, clear description. Imagine you are in a job interview. You want to say you worked at a tech firm last year. You would say: Ich habe letztes Jahr (Time) dort (Place) gearbeitet. It also works perfectly when ordering food or asking for directions. If you are explaining why you are late to a meeting, TeKaMoLo is your best friend. It helps you deliver the "when" and "why" before the "how" and "where."

Don't use it if you want to emphasize one specific detail. If the "Where" is the most important part, move it to position one. For example: Nach Berlin fahre ich heute. This puts the focus on the destination. Also, pronouns are total rebels. Words like es, ihn, or sie always jump to the front of the line. They do not care about the TeKaMoLo rules. They are the VIPs of the sentence. If you have a pronoun, it usually comes right after the verb. Another exception is when a phrase is very long. Sometimes, very long "Cause" phrases are moved to the end to keep the sentence readable.

The biggest mistake is following English word order. English loves putting the place before the time. In German, heute (Time) almost always beats ins Kino (Place). Another mistake is forgetting that TeKaMoLo only applies to the middle of the sentence. Don't let it distract you from your verb positions! If you say Ich gehe ins Kino heute, a German speaker will know what you mean, but it sounds "off." It’s like wearing your socks over your shoes. It works, but people will look at you funny. Also, watch out for the Kausal part. Many learners skip it, but at B2, you need those wegen and trotz phrases.

English uses "Manner-Place-Time" or "Place-Manner-Time." For example: "I went there (Place) quickly (Manner) yesterday (Time)." German is strictly the reverse: "Yesterday (Time) quickly (Manner) there (Place)." It is like a reverse mirror image. If you find yourself putting the location first, stop and reset. Think: "When first, Where last." Some other languages, like Spanish or French, are more flexible. German is like a well-organized filing cabinet. Everything has its specific drawer. If you put the "Time" file in the "Place" drawer, the system feels broken.