Doppelkonnektoren
These paired words let you connect two ideas more precisely than "und" or "oder" alone - useful for opinions and formal writing. Unlike the subordinating conjunctions from Lesson 172, none of these send the verb to the end.
| sowohl ... als auch | both ... and |
| entweder ... oder | either ... or |
| weder ... noch | neither ... nor |
| nicht nur ... sondern auch | not only ... but also |
Ich spreche sowohl Deutsch als auch Englisch. (I speak both German and English.)
Wir können entweder heute oder morgen kommen. (We can come either today or tomorrow.)
Quick check: "both German and English" - sowohl Deutsch ______ Englisch.
This is the key contrast with Lesson 172's subordinating conjunctions (obwohl, während, nachdem...). Double connectors join two elements or two full main clauses, and each part keeps normal verb-second word order.
Weder er noch sie war zu Hause. (Neither he nor she was at home.)
Nicht nur die Miete ist hoch, sondern auch die Nebenkosten sind hoch. (Not only is the rent high, but also the utility costs are high.)
Quick check: do double connectors send the verb to the end of the clause, like nachdem does?
weder...noch already carries its own negation, so it replaces nicht/kein - do not add another negative word.
Ich mag weder Kaffee noch Tee. (I like neither coffee nor tea.)
Quick check: do you also add "nicht" in a weder...noch sentence?
1. "either today or tomorrow" - entweder heute ______ morgen
2. "not only ... but also" - which connector pair?
Aligned with standard Goethe-Zertifikat B1 / telc B1 exam syllabus topics.
Want to practice combining two facts about your life with a double connector? Ask your teaching agent.