Zweiteilige Konnektoren
Zweiteilige Konnektoren — for English Speakers
Introduction
German two-part conjunctions (sowohl...als auch, weder...noch, entweder...oder) have direct English counterparts (both...and, neither...nor, either...or). The meaning is immediately clear for English speakers. The challenge lies in word order: some of these conjunctions require verb inversion in the second part, a rule that doesn't exist in English paired conjunctions.
German vs English
In German
Sowohl Peter als auch Maria kommen.
In English
Both Peter and Maria are coming.
Key Difference
Exact parallel: sowohl...als auch = both...and. Word order stays normal in this one.
In German
Weder...noch = neither...nor
In English
He speaks neither German nor English.
Key Difference
Same logic; German 'weder...noch' can trigger verb inversion in the second clause.
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
Entweder du kommst mit, oder du bleibst hier. (correct but:) Entweder kommst du mit, oder bleibst du hier.
Both patterns exist but mixing them — inversion only affects the 'entweder' clause, not the 'oder' clause.
Sowohl ich mag Kaffee als auch Tee.
Placing sowohl before the subject — sowohl...als auch frames the parallel elements, not the whole sentence.
Practice Examples
Ich spreche sowohl Deutsch als auch Englisch.
I speak both German and English.
Er trinkt weder Kaffee noch Tee.
He drinks neither coffee nor tea.
Entweder wir gehen ins Kino, oder wir bleiben zu Hause.
Either we go to the cinema, or we stay home.
Memory Tip
These are twins: sowohl...als auch = both...and, weder...noch = neither...nor, entweder...oder = either...or.
View Grammar Rule
Zweiteilige Konnektoren
Zweiteilige Konnektoren — B1
Practice Exercises
Zweiteilige Konnektoren Übungen
8 exercises
Other Languages
Explore More
Helpful tools for anyone learning German. No signup required.
See how mitDeutsch works alongside popular German learning tools.
Master German sounds with IPA guides and practice tips.
German courses tailored to your goals.
Conjugation tables for the 100 most important German verbs.
250 essential German nouns and adjectives with articles, plurals, and examples.
Free interactive grammar exercises for every topic from A1 to C1.
10 daily news from Germany, adapted to your language level
AI German learning platform with error intelligence and pronunciation scoring.
Test yourself on this topic
Interactive exercises for this exact topic — no sign-up. Your mistakes become your first lesson.