German Words for “Neither...Nor“373

In German, there are two ways to express "neither...nor": weder...noch and nicht...noch. Both constructions have the same meaning, but they are used in different contexts.

Weder...noch

Weder...noch is used when both parts of the sentence are negative. For example:
Ich habe weder Geld noch Zeit. (I have neither money nor time.)
Er ist weder intelligent noch fleißig. (He is neither intelligent nor diligent.)

Nicht...noch

Nicht...noch is used when only one part of the sentence is negative. For example:
Ich habe nicht Geld, aber Zeit. (I don't have money, but I have time.)
Er ist nicht intelligent, sondern fleißig. (He is not intelligent, but he is diligent.)

Position of the Negative Particles

The negative particles weder and nicht are always placed at the beginning of the sentence. The second negative particle noch is placed directly before the second part of the sentence.

Examples

Here are some more examples of how to use weder...noch and nicht...noch in German:
Ich habe weder Hunger noch Durst. (I am neither hungry nor thirsty.)
Ich bin weder groß noch klein. (I am neither tall nor short.)
Ich habe nicht nur Geld, sondern auch Zeit. (I have not only money, but also time.)
Er ist nicht nur intelligent, sondern auch fleißig. (He is not only intelligent, but also diligent.)

Conclusion

Weder...noch and nicht...noch are two useful constructions for expressing "neither...nor" in German. By understanding the difference between the two constructions, you can use them correctly in your own writing and speaking.

2025-01-04

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