Two-Part Connectors in German: sowohl…als auch, entweder…oder, je…desto
Master German paired connectors and the tricky je…desto word order at B1 level.
German uses several two-part (paired) connectors that link two equal ideas: sowohl…als auch (both…and), entweder…oder (either…or), weder…noch (neither…nor), and nicht nur…sondern auch (not only…but also). With these, both halves usually join words or phrases of the same kind, and normal main-clause word order applies. The one that trips learners up is je…desto (the more…the more). The je-part is a subordinate clause, so its verb goes to the end: Je mehr ich lerne…. The desto-part is a main clause that starts with desto + comparative, then the verb, then the subject: …desto besser verstehe ich. Remember: je sends the verb to the end, desto hugs the comparative.
Examples
Grammatical analysisBase form ichCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberSingular (singular)Person1st person singular (ich)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form sprechenPerson1st person singular (ich)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build sowohl Deutsch als auch Englisch.
I speak both German and English.
Je mehr Grammatical analysisBase form ichCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberSingular (singular)Person1st person singular (ich)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form lernenPerson1st person singular (ich)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build, desto Grammatical analysisBase form gutDegreeKomparativ (comparative)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form verstehenPerson1st person singular (ich)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form ichCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberSingular (singular)Person1st person singular (ich)Checked deterministically before build.
The more I learn, the better I understand.
Entweder Grammatical analysisBase form duCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberSingular (singular)Person2nd person singular (du)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form kommenPerson2nd person singular (du)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build, oder Grammatical analysisBase form duCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberSingular (singular)Person2nd person singular (du)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form bleibenPerson2nd person singular (du)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build.
Either you come or you stay.
Common mistakes
After desto comes the comparative, then the verb; the je-clause is a subordinate clause (verb last).
Related topics
Practice
Je mehr ich lerne, ___ besser verstehe ich die Grammatik.
Sie spricht sowohl Deutsch ___ auch Englisch.
Er ist nicht nur klug, ___ auch fleißig.