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When learning German, mastering conjunctions is crucial for improving fluency and logically conveying ideas. Understanding how to use conjunctions can add color and depth to your conversations and writing, making your German sound more natural. In this guide, we’ll explore basic coordinating conjunctions—the keywords that hold sentences together without altering word order.

What Are Conjunctions?

Simply put, conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together. Both in German and English, conjunctions are essential for combining thoughts and ensuring the smooth flow of ideas. In German, conjunctions are categorized into two main types:

1. Coordinating Conjunctions (Nebenordnende Konjunktionen): These connect words or clauses of equal grammatical value, meaning they do not affect the sentence’s word order.
2. Subordinating Conjunctions (Unterordnende Konjunktionen): These introduce dependent clauses and do influence word order. We will cover these in our next blog post, so stay tuned!

Coordinating Conjunctions (Nebenordnende Konjunktionen)

Coordinating conjunctions are essential for joining sentences or phrases without worrying about changing the word order. They connect two sentences of equal rank or link two parts of a sentence, such as nouns, verbs, or adjectives.

Here are five common coordinating conjunctions in German:

German Word	English Translation	Example in German	Example in English
und	and	Ich gehe einkaufen und er kocht Abendessen.	I go shopping, and he cooks dinner.
aber	but	Ich will ins Kino gehen, aber ich habe keine Zeit.	I want to go to the movies, but I don’t have time.
oder	or	Willst du Tee oder Kaffee?	Do you want tea or coffee?
denn	because	Ich kann nicht kommen, denn ich bin krank.	I can’t come because I am sick.
sondern	but rather	Ich trinke keinen Kaffee, sondern Tee.	I don’t drink coffee, but rather tea.

Key Points

Coordinating conjunctions do not change the word order of the sentences they connect. Each clause maintains the standard German sentence structure: subject, verb, and objects.

Multipart Conjunctions (Mehrteilige Konjunktionen)

In German, you will also encounter multipart conjunctions, which consist of at least two parts working together to connect clauses. Like coordinating conjunctions, they do not influence word order. These conjunctions are particularly useful for creating complex and nuanced connections between ideas.

Here are five common multipart conjunctions:

German Phrase	English Translation	Example in German	Example in English
nicht nur … sondern auch …	not only … but also …	Sie ist nicht nur intelligent, sondern auch freundlich.	She is not only intelligent but also friendly.
zwar … aber …	although …	Es ist zwar kalt, aber sonnig.	Although it’s cold, it’s sunny.
sowohl … als auch …	both … and …	Er spricht sowohl Deutsch als auch Englisch.	He speaks both German and English.
entweder … oder …	either … or …	Du kannst entweder das Auto nehmen oder mit dem Bus fahren.	You can either take the car or go by bus.
weder … noch …	neither … nor …	Ich habe weder Zeit noch Geld.	I have neither time nor money.

Common Mistakes with German Conjunctions

While coordinating conjunctions are straightforward, if you just started learning German, you might encounter one of the following common mistakes:

1. Mixing up “aber” and “sondern”: Use “aber” to contrast any two ideas, while “sondern” is specifically for contrasts following a negation.
2. Forgetting the word order: Some learners confuse coordinating conjunctions with subordinating ones. Always ensure that your sentence structure remains unchanged after adding coordinating conjunctions.
3. Overusing conjunctions: While conjunctions are essential, avoid overloading your sentences with them. Sometimes, splitting a sentence into two separate ideas can enhance clarity.

Conclusion

Mastering coordinating conjunctions in German is a vital step toward achieving more fluid and natural communication. These common German conjunctions will elevate your language skills to the next level of fluency.

Are you eager to become more fluent in German? Check out the FluenDay app! You’ll find various clips featuring daily German expressions from local movies or TV shows. The more you listen and watch, the more fluent and confident you will become in your German!