weder ... noch
neither ... nor
Connects two negative statements and means that neither of them applies or is present.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat weder Zeit noch Lust.
She has neither the time nor the inclination.
weder
neither
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Meanings
Usage tips
Fixed pair
'Weder' (neither) is normally used together with 'noch' (nor): 'weder ... noch'. The two parts refer to two elements or statements that are negated together.
EXAMPLE
Er möchte weder bleiben noch gehen.
He wants neither to stay nor to leave.
Same grammatical function
After 'weder' (neither) and 'noch' (nor), the elements usually have the same grammatical function, such as two nouns, two adjectives, or two infinitives. This keeps the sentence structure clear and parallel.
EXAMPLE
Die Aufgabe ist weder schwierig noch langweilig.
The task is neither difficult nor boring.
No additional negation
'Weder ... noch' (neither ... nor) already negates both elements mentioned. Therefore, a simple sentence normally does not contain an additional 'nicht' (not).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben weder Brot noch Milch gekauft.
We bought neither bread nor milk.
Two main clauses
'Weder ... noch' (neither ... nor) can also connect two main clauses. If 'weder' (neither) comes at the beginning of the sentence, the finite verb follows directly; after 'noch' (nor), the second main clause also uses normal main-clause word order.
EXAMPLE
Weder hat sie angerufen, noch hat sie eine Nachricht geschrieben.
She neither called nor wrote a message.
In real life
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