Meaning
Used to connect two related ideas, emphasizing the second one.
Cultural Background
In German business culture, 'nicht nur, sondern auch' is used to demonstrate 'Ganzheitlichkeit' (holistic thinking). It shows you've considered the secondary effects of a decision. Austrians might use 'nicht nur... sondern a' (informal shortening of 'auch') in dialect, but in formal 'Schriftdeutsch', they follow the same rules as Germany. In Swiss High German, the phrase is used identically, but in Swiss German (Schwiizertüütsch), you might hear 'nöd nu... sondern au'. In German academia, this phrase is a staple of 'wissenschaftliches Schreiben' (scientific writing) to ensure all variables are mentioned.
The Comma Rule
Always, always put a comma before 'sondern'. It's one of the most common mistakes in B2 writing exams.
Parallelism
Try to keep the grammar the same on both sides. If you use a noun after 'nicht nur', use a noun after 'sondern auch'.
Meaning
Used to connect two related ideas, emphasizing the second one.
The Comma Rule
Always, always put a comma before 'sondern'. It's one of the most common mistakes in B2 writing exams.
Parallelism
Try to keep the grammar the same on both sides. If you use a noun after 'nicht nur', use a noun after 'sondern auch'.
No 'Aber'
Never use 'aber' in this specific pair. It sounds very 'foreign' to native ears.
Test Yourself
Fülle die Lücken mit 'nicht nur' oder 'sondern auch'.
Er ist ________ ein guter Sportler, ________ ein talentierter Musiker.
The sentence adds a second talent to the first one, requiring the correlative pair.
Welcher Satz ist grammatikalisch richtig?
Wähle den richtigen Satz:
You need 'sondern' (not 'aber') and a comma before it.
Vervollständige den Dialog.
A: War der Urlaub schön? B: Ja! Das {das|n} Hotel war ________ direkt am Strand, ________ das {das|n} Essen war fantastisch.
The speaker is listing two positive aspects of the holiday with emphasis.
Welche Fortsetzung passt am besten?
Satz: 'Diese {die|f} neue Software ist nicht nur schneller als die {die|f} alte...'
The first option follows the logical 'bonus' pattern. The others are either grammatically wrong or logically inconsistent with the 'nicht nur' emphasis.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesEr ist ________ ein guter Sportler, ________ ein talentierter Musiker.
The sentence adds a second talent to the first one, requiring the correlative pair.
Wähle den richtigen Satz:
You need 'sondern' (not 'aber') and a comma before it.
A: War der Urlaub schön? B: Ja! Das {das|n} Hotel war ________ direkt am Strand, ________ das {das|n} Essen war fantastisch.
The speaker is listing two positive aspects of the holiday with emphasis.
Satz: 'Diese {die|f} neue Software ist nicht nur schneller als die {die|f} alte...'
The first option follows the logical 'bonus' pattern. The others are either grammatically wrong or logically inconsistent with the 'nicht nur' emphasis.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but it changes the word order. 'Nicht nur ich bin hier, sondern auch du bist hier.'
Technically yes, but it sounds incomplete. 'Auch' provides the necessary additive signal.
'Nicht nur' is more emphatic and focuses on the second part. 'Sowohl... als auch' is more balanced.
Yes, the comma before 'sondern' is mandatory regardless of sentence length.
Yes. 'Er singt nicht nur, sondern er tanzt auch.'
It's a bit formal, but perfectly fine if you want to be clear or emphatic.
'Sondern' is used specifically to provide an alternative or addition after a negative statement.
Yes, 'nicht bloß' is a common and slightly more colloquial variation.
No, it can be separated by the subject or other elements. '...sondern er hat auch...'
Yes, with local pronunciation like 'nöd nu... sondern au'.
Related Phrases
sowohl ... als auch
synonymboth ... and
nicht bloß ..., sondern auch
similarnot just ..., but also
zwar ..., aber
contrastit's true that ..., but
einerseits ..., andererseits
builds onon the one hand ..., on the other hand
