Aber and sondern are two word that both translate as the English word "but."  Both words express a contrast, but there are some important differences.

Sondern must always be used when "but" means but rather or but...instead.

Sie bleibt zu Hause, aber er geht ins Kino.
She is staying at home, but he is going to the movie theater.

Sie bleibt nicht zu Hause, sondern geht ins Kino.
She's not staying at home, but rather is going to the movie theater.

Sondern is always followed by a negative statement and expresses a mutually exclusive alternative.

Comments (186) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Here are the "question words" in German that translate as "who," "whose," and "whom"

wer?  = who?
wen? = whom? (direct object, Accusative)
wessen? = whose
wem? = to/for whom (indirect object, Dative)

Example: Wem gibst du das Geld?

Comments (383) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

For those students who are interested in learning German, EmpowerMost now has a dedicated webpage for German studies.

Check out this page for new German articles, vocabulary, grammar topics, and lessons that students can do in their free time.

New content will be added each week.  Please email us at empowermost @ gmail.com if you are interested in online lessons in German. 

Comments (88) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink