{"id":365,"date":"2026-10-19T06:59:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T06:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/?p=365"},"modified":"2026-10-31T09:09:55","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:09:55","slug":"aber-vs-sondern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/","title":{"rendered":"Aber vs Sondern: Which &#8220;But&#8221; Do You Need in German?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aber vs sondern: use <em>sondern<\/em> only after a negation (<em>nicht<\/em>, <em>kein<\/em>, <em>nie<\/em>) when you correct the first part and replace it: <em>Das ist kein Tee, sondern Kaffee.<\/em> Use <em>aber<\/em> for a contrast or limitation where both parts stay true: <em>Das Zimmer ist klein, aber hell.<\/em> Both take a comma, and neither changes the word order.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">English has one &#8220;but&#8221;; German has two because it separates &#8220;but (also true)&#8221; from &#8220;but rather (instead)&#8221;. If you speak Spanish or Russian, you already know the split.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aber vs sondern: the difference in one table<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>aber<\/th><th>sondern<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Meaning<\/td><td>but, however<\/td><td>but rather, instead<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>First part<\/td><td>positive or negative<\/td><td>always negative (<em>nicht, kein, nie, niemand<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Logic<\/td><td>both parts are true; the second limits or contrasts<\/td><td>the first part is wrong; the second replaces it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Example<\/td><td><em>Ich bin m\u00fcde, aber ich komme mit.<\/em><\/td><td><em>Ich komme nicht heute, sondern morgen.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Translation<\/td><td>I&#8217;m tired, but I&#8217;m coming along.<\/td><td>I&#8217;m not coming today but tomorrow.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Quick test:<\/strong> can you add &#8220;instead&#8221; or &#8220;rather&#8221; in English without changing the meaning? Then you need <em>sondern<\/em>. If not, <em>aber<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Help from your own language:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Language<\/th><th>= aber<\/th><th>= sondern<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Spanish<\/td><td>pero<\/td><td>sino<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Russian<\/td><td>\u043d\u043e<\/td><td>\u0430 (after <em>\u043d\u0435<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Italian<\/td><td>ma<\/td><td>ma, or formal <em>bens\u00ec<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Portuguese<\/td><td>mas<\/td><td>mas sim (often just <em>mas<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>French<\/td><td>mais<\/td><td>mais (no separate word)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Italian, Portuguese and French speakers have to make the choice consciously, because their &#8220;but&#8221; covers both cases.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sondern: correcting after a negation<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sondern<\/em> always answers a negation in the first part. Whatever is negated gets replaced by the element after <em>sondern<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Ich wohne nicht in Berlin, sondern in Hamburg.<\/em> (I don&#8217;t live in Berlin but in Hamburg.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Das ist kein Problem, sondern eine Chance.<\/em> (That&#8217;s not a problem but an opportunity.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Nicht ich habe das gesagt, sondern meine Kollegin.<\/em> (It wasn&#8217;t me who said that, it was my colleague.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The part after <em>sondern<\/em> is usually shortened, because the rest is repeated from the first part: <em>Ich trinke keinen Kaffee, sondern Tee.<\/em> A full clause is also possible: <em>Wir fahren nicht weg, sondern wir bleiben zu Hause.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The negation can be <em>nicht<\/em> or <em>kein<\/em>; which one you need depends on what is negated, see <a href=\"\/blog\/nicht-vs-kein\/\">nicht vs kein<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Negation does not automatically mean sondern<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the point most learners miss. A negative first part can also take <em>aber<\/em>, if you are not correcting it:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Das Hotel ist nicht billig, aber sehr gut.<\/em> (The hotel isn&#8217;t cheap, but it&#8217;s very good.) Both are true.<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Das Hotel ist nicht billig, sondern teuer.<\/em> (The hotel isn&#8217;t cheap; it&#8217;s expensive.) &#8220;Cheap&#8221; is corrected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the rule is: no negation means never <em>sondern<\/em>; a negation means <em>sondern<\/em> only if the second part replaces the first.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aber: contrast and limitation<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Aber<\/em> adds something that contrasts with, or limits, the first part. Both statements remain true:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch, aber ich spreche noch nicht fl\u00fcssig.<\/em> (I&#8217;ve been learning German for two years, but I&#8217;m not fluent yet.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Die Arbeit ist anstrengend, aber sie macht mir Spa\u00df.<\/em> (The work is tiring, but I enjoy it.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich w\u00fcrde gern kommen, aber ich habe Nachtdienst.<\/em> (I&#8217;d like to come, but I&#8217;m on night shift.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike <em>sondern<\/em>, <em>aber<\/em> can also stand inside the clause, as an adverb: <em>Ich habe heute keine Zeit. Morgen kann ich aber kommen.<\/em> (I don&#8217;t have time today. I can come tomorrow, though.) In that position it works like English &#8220;though&#8221; and needs no comma.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nicht nur &#8230; sondern auch<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Nicht nur &#8230; sondern auch<\/em> means &#8220;not only &#8230; but also&#8221;. The pair is fixed: it is always <em>sondern auch<\/em>, never <em>aber auch<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Sie spricht nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Franz\u00f6sisch.<\/em> (She speaks not only German but also French.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Er hat nicht nur die Pr\u00fcfung bestanden, sondern auch eine Stelle gefunden.<\/em> (He not only passed the exam but also found a job.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Nicht nur<\/em> goes directly before the element it refers to. A similar structure is <em>sowohl &#8230; als auch<\/em> (&#8220;both &#8230; and&#8221;): <em>Ich brauche sowohl den Pass als auch die Meldebescheinigung.<\/em> (I need both the passport and the registration certificate.)<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does sondern need a comma?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. The Duden comma rules require a comma before contrasting conjunctions such as <em>aber<\/em>, <em>sondern<\/em>, <em>doch<\/em> and <em>jedoch<\/em>, whether they join single words, phrases or whole clauses:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Wir waren arm, aber gl\u00fccklich.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Das war kein Fehler, sondern Absicht.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Sie ist nicht nur freundlich, sondern auch kompetent.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This differs from <em>und<\/em> and <em>oder<\/em>, which normally take no comma. No comma is needed when <em>aber<\/em> is not a conjunction: as an adverb inside the clause (<em>Morgen kann ich aber kommen<\/em>) or as a particle (next section).<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Word order: aber and sondern are &#8220;position 0&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Aber, denn, und, sondern, oder<\/em> (memory word: <strong>ADUSO<\/strong>) connect two main clauses without taking a position of their own. After them, the normal main-clause order continues, with the verb in position 2.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Position 0<\/th><th>Position 1<\/th><th>Position 2 (verb)<\/th><th>Rest<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>aber<\/td><td>ich<\/td><td>habe<\/td><td>keine Zeit.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>aber<\/td><td>morgen<\/td><td>habe<\/td><td>ich Zeit.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>denn<\/td><td>er<\/td><td>ist<\/td><td>krank.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>und<\/td><td>dann<\/td><td>gehen<\/td><td>wir nach Hause.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>sondern<\/td><td>wir<\/td><td>bleiben<\/td><td>zu Hause.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>oder<\/td><td>du<\/td><td>kommst<\/td><td>morgen.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The classic mistake is to invert after <em>aber<\/em>: <em>Ich habe Zeit, aber habe ich kein Geld<\/em> is wrong; correct is <em>aber ich habe kein Geld<\/em>. Compare <em>trotzdem<\/em>, which takes position 1 and so pushes the subject behind the verb (<em>Ich bin krank, trotzdem gehe ich arbeiten<\/em>), explained in <a href=\"\/blog\/obwohl-vs-trotzdem\/\">obwohl vs trotzdem<\/a>. For <em>denn<\/em> vs <em>weil<\/em>, see <a href=\"\/blog\/weil-denn-da-german\/\">weil, denn and da<\/a>, and for the full position system, <a href=\"\/blog\/german-word-order-rules\/\">German word order rules<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aber as a particle: &#8220;Das ist aber teuer!&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the middle of a sentence, <em>aber<\/em> often has nothing to do with &#8220;but&#8221;. As a modal particle it expresses surprise or emphasis:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Das ist aber teuer!<\/em> (Wow, that&#8217;s expensive!)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Du sprichst aber gut Deutsch!<\/em> (You speak really good German!)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Jetzt aber schnell!<\/em> (Now hurry up!)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Aber gern!<\/em> (With pleasure!) \/ <em>Aber nat\u00fcrlich!<\/em> (Of course!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no contrast here and no comma. You cannot replace this <em>aber<\/em> with <em>sondern<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"siplingo-store-badges\" style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center;align-items:center;gap:12px;margin:24px 0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/id6783970183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/app_store.png\" alt=\"Download SipLingo on the App Store\" style=\"height:52px;width:auto;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=ch.zgdevelopment.siplingo&amp;referrer=utm_source%3Dblog%26utm_medium%3Dpost%26utm_campaign%3Daber-vs-sondern%26utm_content%3Dbadge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/play_store.png\" alt=\"Get SipLingo on Google Play\" style=\"height:52px;width:auto;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">25 examples with translation<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>#<\/th><th>German<\/th><th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td><em>Die Wohnung ist klein, aber gem\u00fctlich.<\/em><\/td><td>The flat is small but cosy.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td><em>Ich habe wenig Zeit, aber ich helfe dir.<\/em><\/td><td>I don&#8217;t have much time, but I&#8217;ll help you.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td><em>Der Kurs ist teuer, aber er lohnt sich.<\/em><\/td><td>The course is expensive, but it&#8217;s worth it.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td><em>Ich verstehe viel, aber ich spreche noch langsam.<\/em><\/td><td>I understand a lot, but I still speak slowly.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td><em>Er wollte kommen, aber er war krank.<\/em><\/td><td>He wanted to come, but he was ill.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td><em>Die Schicht war lang, aber ruhig.<\/em><\/td><td>The shift was long but quiet.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td><em>Ich mag Kaffee, aber nicht am Abend.<\/em><\/td><td>I like coffee, but not in the evening.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td><em>Das Gehalt ist nicht hoch, aber die Kollegen sind nett.<\/em><\/td><td>The salary isn&#8217;t high, but my colleagues are nice.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td><em>Ich habe kein Auto, aber ein Fahrrad.<\/em><\/td><td>I don&#8217;t have a car, but I have a bike.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td><em>Heute geht es nicht, morgen aber schon.<\/em><\/td><td>Today doesn&#8217;t work, but tomorrow does.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td><em>Ich komme nicht aus Spanien, sondern aus Mexiko.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m not from Spain but from Mexico.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td><em>Wir treffen uns nicht am Montag, sondern am Dienstag.<\/em><\/td><td>We&#8217;re not meeting on Monday but on Tuesday.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td><em>Sie arbeitet nicht im Krankenhaus, sondern in einem Pflegeheim.<\/em><\/td><td>She doesn&#8217;t work in a hospital but in a care home.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td><em>Das ist kein Hobby, sondern mein Beruf.<\/em><\/td><td>This isn&#8217;t a hobby, it&#8217;s my job.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td><em>Er hat nicht angerufen, sondern eine Nachricht geschrieben.<\/em><\/td><td>He didn&#8217;t call; he sent a message instead.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td><em>Ich lerne Deutsch nicht f\u00fcr die Schule, sondern f\u00fcr die Arbeit.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m learning German not for school but for work.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td><em>Der Termin ist nicht um neun, sondern um halb zehn.<\/em><\/td><td>The appointment isn&#8217;t at nine but at half past nine.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td><em>Nicht der Patient hat geklingelt, sondern seine Frau.<\/em><\/td><td>It wasn&#8217;t the patient who rang, it was his wife.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td><em>Ich brauche keine Ausrede, sondern eine L\u00f6sung.<\/em><\/td><td>I don&#8217;t need an excuse but a solution.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td><em>Sie spricht nicht nur Englisch, sondern auch Russisch.<\/em><\/td><td>She speaks not only English but also Russian.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21<\/td><td><em>Die Stelle ist nicht nur gut bezahlt, sondern auch sicher.<\/em><\/td><td>The job is not only well paid but also secure.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>22<\/td><td><em>Wir haben nicht nur gelernt, sondern auch viel gelacht.<\/em><\/td><td>We didn&#8217;t just study, we also laughed a lot.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>23<\/td><td><em>Das ist aber eine sch\u00f6ne Wohnung!<\/em><\/td><td>What a lovely flat!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>24<\/td><td><em>Heute bist du aber fr\u00fch!<\/em><\/td><td>You&#8217;re early today!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25<\/td><td><em>Kommst du mit? \u2013 Aber gern!<\/em><\/td><td>Are you coming along? \u2013 I&#8217;d love to!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Wrong<\/th><th>Right<\/th><th>Why<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Sie ist klug, sondern faul.<\/em><\/td><td><em>Sie ist klug, aber faul.<\/em><\/td><td>no negation, so never <em>sondern<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Er kommt nicht aus Spanien, aber aus Mexiko.<\/em><\/td><td><em>&#8230;, sondern aus Mexiko.<\/em><\/td><td>the second part replaces the first<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>nicht nur Deutsch, aber auch Englisch<\/em><\/td><td><em>nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Englisch<\/em><\/td><td>fixed pair<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich bin m\u00fcde, aber muss ich arbeiten.<\/em><\/td><td><em>Ich bin m\u00fcde, aber ich muss arbeiten.<\/em><\/td><td><em>aber<\/em> is position 0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Das ist kein Problem sondern eine Chance.<\/em><\/td><td><em>Das ist kein Problem, sondern eine Chance.<\/em><\/td><td>comma before <em>sondern<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In writing you have time to run the &#8220;instead?&#8221; test. In a conversation, the choice has to come automatically, and that only happens after you have produced it many times. In SipLingo you correct and contrast things out loud, for example when you explain at the doctor&#8217;s that the pain is not in your back but in your knee, and if you say <em>nicht heute, aber morgen<\/em>, you get the correct sentence and a short explanation in your own language. <a href=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/download?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=aber-vs-sondern&amp;utm_content=inline\">Practise it in a real conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: aber or sondern?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fill in <em>aber<\/em> or <em>sondern<\/em>. In items 8 and 9, correct the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Ich komme nicht aus Italien, ___ aus der Schweiz.<\/li>\n\n<li>Die Wohnung ist sch\u00f6n, ___ zu teuer.<\/li>\n\n<li>Er spricht nicht nur Englisch, ___ auch Russisch.<\/li>\n\n<li>Ich habe heute keine Zeit, ___ morgen kann ich dir helfen.<\/li>\n\n<li>Wir treffen uns nicht im Caf\u00e9, ___ bei mir zu Hause.<\/li>\n\n<li>Der Test war nicht leicht, ___ ich habe bestanden.<\/li>\n\n<li>Sie arbeitet nicht nachts, ___ nur tags\u00fcber.<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich wollte dich anrufen, aber war mein Akku leer.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Das ist keine Kritik sondern ein Tipp.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li>Das Essen war nicht billig, ___ sehr gut.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>sondern (correction after <em>nicht<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n<li>aber (both true)<\/li>\n\n<li>sondern (<em>nicht nur &#8230; sondern auch<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n<li>aber (contrast; no correction)<\/li>\n\n<li>sondern (the place is replaced)<\/li>\n\n<li>aber (both true: it was hard, and I passed)<\/li>\n\n<li>sondern (correction)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich wollte dich anrufen, aber mein Akku war leer.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Das ist keine Kritik, sondern ein Tipp.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li>aber (not cheap, and also very good)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Comma rules checked in October 2026 against the Duden rules on commas (Komma).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Official sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the official details and the latest updates, see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.duden.de\/sprachwissen\/fuer-lernende\/wortarten-konjunktionen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Duden: Duden for learners: conjunctions<\/a> \u2013 Coordinating vs subordinating conjunctions (aber, denn, weil, obwohl)<\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/grammis.ids-mannheim.de\/konnektoren\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IDS Mannheim (grammis): grammis: dictionary of German connectors<\/a> \u2013 Syntax and meaning of connectors like weil, aber, obwohl, damit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When to use sondern and aber (aber oder sondern)?<\/strong><br\/>\nUse <em>sondern<\/em> after a negation when the second part corrects or replaces the first: <em>nicht Montag, sondern Dienstag.<\/em> Use <em>aber<\/em> in every other case of &#8220;but&#8221;, where both parts are true.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What does sondern mean in German?<\/strong><br\/><em>Sondern<\/em> means &#8220;but rather&#8221; or &#8220;instead&#8221;. It only follows a negation with <em>nicht<\/em>, <em>kein<\/em> or <em>nie<\/em>: <em>Das ist kein Tee, sondern Kaffee.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What is the difference between aber and sondern?<\/strong><br\/><em>Aber<\/em> adds a contrast and keeps the first statement true. <em>Sondern<\/em> cancels the negated first statement and replaces it with the correct one.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Does sondern need a comma?<\/strong><br\/>\nYes, always, whether it connects single words or whole clauses: <em>nicht heute, sondern morgen.<\/em> The same applies to <em>aber<\/em> when it is a conjunction.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What does &#8220;nicht nur &#8230; sondern auch&#8221; mean?<\/strong><br\/>\nIt means &#8220;not only &#8230; but also&#8221;: <em>Sie spricht nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Franz\u00f6sisch.<\/em> It always takes a comma before <em>sondern<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Choose between aber and sondern without thinking twice.<\/strong> Practise speaking German in real situations and get every slip corrected instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/download?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=aber-vs-sondern&amp;utm_content=footer\">Start free \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sondern only after nicht\/kein when you correct: kein Tee, sondern Kaffee. Aber = &#8220;but&#8221; when both parts are true. Both take a comma. 25 examples, exercise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-german-grammar"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Aber vs Sondern: Difference, Word Order + 25 Examples<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sondern corrects after a negation, aber adds contrast. Why both take position 0, the comma rule, nicht nur \u2026 sondern auch, 25 examples and an exercise.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aber vs Sondern: Difference, Word Order + 25 Examples\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sondern corrects after a negation, aber adds contrast. Why both take position 0, the comma rule, nicht nur \u2026 sondern auch, 25 examples and an exercise.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SipLingo Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-19T06:59:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-31T09:09:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SipLingo Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SipLingo Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SipLingo Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/75f4dfeae164bd784966c9d657b672f7\"},\"headline\":\"Aber vs Sondern: Which &#8220;But&#8221; Do You Need in German?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-19T06:59:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-31T09:09:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2000,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"German Grammar\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/\",\"name\":\"Aber vs Sondern: Difference, Word Order + 25 Examples\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-19T06:59:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-31T09:09:55+00:00\",\"description\":\"Sondern corrects after a negation, aber adds contrast. Why both take position 0, the comma rule, nicht nur \u2026 sondern auch, 25 examples and an exercise.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Aber vs Sondern: Which \\\"But\\\" Do You Need in German?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/aber-vs-sondern\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Aber vs Sondern: Which &#8220;But&#8221; Do You Need in German?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SipLingo Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SipLingo\",\"alternateName\":\"SipLingo Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/cropped-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/cropped-logo.png\",\"width\":256,\"height\":256,\"caption\":\"SipLingo\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/apps.apple.com\\\/app\\\/id6783970183\",\"https:\\\/\\\/play.google.com\\\/store\\\/apps\\\/details?id=ch.zgdevelopment.siplingo\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/75f4dfeae164bd784966c9d657b672f7\",\"name\":\"SipLingo Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fb96f437b5d5c3cc5a6ccb2569739b108ce738b2273ab77c04731e28c2474102?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fb96f437b5d5c3cc5a6ccb2569739b108ce738b2273ab77c04731e28c2474102?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fb96f437b5d5c3cc5a6ccb2569739b108ce738b2273ab77c04731e28c2474102?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"SipLingo Team\"},\"description\":\"The SipLingo Team builds SipLingo, a voice-first AI German tutor made in Switzerland. We write practical guides on German exams (Goethe, telc, \u00d6SD, DTZ), working and living in German-speaking countries, and everyday spoken German. Facts such as fees, levels and legal rules are checked against official sources, linked in each article.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siplingo.com\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Aber vs Sondern: Difference, Word Order + 25 Examples","description":"Sondern corrects after a negation, aber adds contrast. Why both take position 0, the comma rule, nicht nur \u2026 sondern auch, 25 examples and an exercise.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Aber vs Sondern: Difference, Word Order + 25 Examples","og_description":"Sondern corrects after a negation, aber adds contrast. Why both take position 0, the comma rule, nicht nur \u2026 sondern auch, 25 examples and an exercise.","og_url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/","og_site_name":"SipLingo Blog","article_published_time":"2026-10-19T06:59:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-31T09:09:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"SipLingo Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"SipLingo Team","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/"},"author":{"name":"SipLingo Team","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/75f4dfeae164bd784966c9d657b672f7"},"headline":"Aber vs Sondern: Which &#8220;But&#8221; Do You Need in German?","datePublished":"2026-10-19T06:59:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-31T09:09:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/"},"wordCount":2000,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg","articleSection":["German Grammar"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/","url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/","name":"Aber vs Sondern: Difference, Word Order + 25 Examples","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-19T06:59:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-31T09:09:55+00:00","description":"Sondern corrects after a negation, aber adds contrast. Why both take position 0, the comma rule, nicht nur \u2026 sondern auch, 25 examples and an exercise.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aber-vs-sondern.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Aber vs Sondern: Which \"But\" Do You Need in German?"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/aber-vs-sondern\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Aber vs Sondern: Which &#8220;But&#8221; Do You Need in German?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/","name":"SipLingo Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"SipLingo","alternateName":"SipLingo Blog","url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cropped-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cropped-logo.png","width":256,"height":256,"caption":"SipLingo"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/id6783970183","https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=ch.zgdevelopment.siplingo"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/75f4dfeae164bd784966c9d657b672f7","name":"SipLingo Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb96f437b5d5c3cc5a6ccb2569739b108ce738b2273ab77c04731e28c2474102?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb96f437b5d5c3cc5a6ccb2569739b108ce738b2273ab77c04731e28c2474102?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb96f437b5d5c3cc5a6ccb2569739b108ce738b2273ab77c04731e28c2474102?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"SipLingo Team"},"description":"The SipLingo Team builds SipLingo, a voice-first AI German tutor made in Switzerland. We write practical guides on German exams (Goethe, telc, \u00d6SD, DTZ), working and living in German-speaking countries, and everyday spoken German. Facts such as fees, levels and legal rules are checked against official sources, linked in each article.","sameAs":["https:\/\/siplingo.com\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":675,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions\/675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}