Doppelkonjunktionen — paired connectors

Doppelkonjunktionen come in two parts, one that opens the idea and one that closes it. English has the same mechanism: "both... and," "not only... but also," "either... or." German's set is just slightly bigger and more frequently used in writing.

The five you'll meet

sowohl ... als auch — both ... and

Emphasizes that two things are BOTH true. No special word order tricks — works like a normal connector.

nicht nur ... sondern auch — not only ... but also

Useful when adding emphasis. If nicht nur starts the sentence, the verb inverts (classic V1 → V2 inversion pattern, nicht nur ends up in slot 1).

entweder ... oder — either ... or

Places the two alternatives side by side. If entweder starts the clause, most speakers invert (verb first in slot 2, subject pushed out) — but normal word order also works.

weder ... noch — neither ... nor

The one that trips people up: weder and noch are already negative. Don't add another nicht or kein.

je ... desto ... — the more ... the more

A double-comparative construction. Takes some getting used to because each half uses a comparative form.

Word-order detail: the je clause is a subordinate clause — verb goes to the end. The desto clause is a main clause — but desto + comparative counts as slot 1, so the verb still sits in slot 2 (typically right after the comparative phrase).

You can swap desto for umso (same meaning, slightly more formal).

Common mistakes, named

1. Double-negating weder ... noch. Ich mag weder kein Kaffee noch kein Tee. ❌ → Ich mag weder Kaffee noch Tee. ✓

2. Mixing aber into nicht nur ... sondern auch. Nicht nur X, aber auch Y. ❌ → Nicht nur X, sondern auch Y. ✓

3. Forgetting verb-final in the je half. Je mehr ich lerne, desto mehr ich weiß. ❌ → Je mehr ich lerne, desto mehr weiß ich. ✓

4. Dropping the auch in sowohl ... als auch. sowohl X als Y ❌ → sowohl X als auch Y ✓ Both parts are needed.

Mini check

Where this leads

One step back for subjunctive: Konjunktiv I, the form you meet almost exclusively in reported speech (newspapers, formal retellings). Short lesson, specific use.

Next up: Konjunktiv I — reported speech.

Test yourself