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The first two, als and wenn, are subordinating conjunctions as described in the previous section, and they are
each used for different senses of time. Wenn carries the meaning of “when” in the sense of “whenever” or “if”
when describing either the past or the present. Als is used to refer to a single event or block of time when
referring to the past.
The first sentence denotes repeated occurrences in the past or present, as well as potential occurrences in the
future. The second sentence covers only repeated occurrences in the past, while the third refers to a particular
single event in the past, in this case a particular bout with an illness.
This usage of “als” refers to a single block of time in the past: one’s time as a student, one’s childhood, etc.
The question word wann is used solely in forming direct or indirect questions. Study the examples below:
Wann kommt der Bus? Ich weiß nicht, wann der Bus kommt.
When is the bus coming? I don’t know when the bus is coming.
Note that here the use of “wann” indicates either a direct or an indirect question.
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