Condition: a listening-task definition

Definition and example

A requirement that must be met before an instruction or alternative applies.

A condition connects a possible situation with an action. It matters in directions, delivery instructions and group plans. If you retain the action but drop the condition, your note can give permission in a situation where the speaker never granted it. Draw a separate branch for each case rather than merging every instruction into one list.

German example: Falls das Tor zu ist, geben Sie das Paket bei der Nachbarin ab. Translation: If the gate is closed, leave the parcel with the neighbour. The neighbour instruction applies to the closed-gate case. The sentence does not say what to do if the neighbour is absent.

Wenn and falls can introduce conditions, but not every wenn sentence serves the same practical purpose. Context can also use wenn for a repeated or future time. Focus on the actual relationship in your scene rather than assigning one English meaning to every appearance of a word.

To check a listening answer, state the trigger and the result separately. Then test a case where the trigger is absent. If your answer still demands the same action, you may have lost the branch. Use the delivery or weather worksheet for a concrete example with a key.

Use this term in a task

• Follow German parcel drop-off instructions
• Choose a backup plan from a German weather discussion
• Understand when a German repair worker needs access

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