Word Frequency (Worthäufigkeit) #150
Word (Wort)

sondern

Translation (Übersetzung) but rather / but instead
Pronunciation (Aussprache) /ˈzɔndɐn/
B1
Conjunction
Intermediate
Neutral
Tags (Tags)
grammar conjunction contrast intermediate
"Sondern" is a coordinating conjunction used exclusively after a negative statement to introduce a contrasting positive alternative. It cannot be used to start a sentence and always requires a preceding negation (nicht, kein, etc.). It is often translated as "but rather" or "but instead" in English, distinguishing it from "aber" (but), which can be used without a preceding negation.

sondern - German Conjunction - sondern Meaning - sondern Translation - sondern Conjunction Examples

sondern is a German Conjunction

Learn sondern meaning, translation, pronunciation, and usage examples. sondern is classified as a Conjunction in German grammar.

sondern Examples (Beispiele) in English

sondern examples with English translations. See how to use sondern in sentences. sondern example sentences in English below.

Die Fabrik sondert Abfallstoffe ab.
The factory separates waste materials.
Industrial process
Wir müssen die guten von den schlechten Äpfeln sondern.
We must separate the good apples from the bad ones.
Sorting items
Das Gesetz sondert bestimmte Gruppen aus.
The law segregates certain groups.
Legal or social context

sondern Conjugations (Konjugationen)

sondern conjugation (sondern Konjugation) in all German tenses: Präsens (Present), Präteritum (Past), Perfekt (Perfect), Futur I & II, Konjunktiv I & II, and Imperativ (Imperative). Learn how to conjugate sondern with our complete conjugation table below.

Present Tense (Präsens)

ich
sondere
du
sonderst
er/sie/es
sondert
wir
sondern
ihr
sondert
sie/Sie
sondern

Simple Past (Präteritum)

ich
sonderte
du
sondertest
er/sie/es
sonderte
wir
sonderten
ihr
sondertet
sie/Sie
sonderten

Perfect Tense (Perfekt)

ich
habe gesondert
du
hast gesondert
er/sie/es
hat gesondert
wir
haben gesondert
ihr
habt gesondert
sie/Sie
haben gesondert

Future I (Futur I)

ich
werde sondern
du
wirst sondern
er/sie/es
wird sondern
wir
werden sondern
ihr
werdet sondern
sie/Sie
werden sondern

Future II (Futur II)

ich
werde gesondert haben
du
wirst gesondert haben
er/sie/es
wird gesondert haben
wir
werden gesondert haben
ihr
werdet gesondert haben
sie/Sie
werden gesondert haben

Imperative (Imperativ)

sondere
sondert
sondern Sie

Subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I)

ich
sondere
du
sonderest
er/sie/es
sondere
wir
sondern
ihr
sonderet
sie/Sie
sondern

Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)

ich
sonderte
du
sondertest
er/sie/es
sonderte
wir
sonderten
ihr
sondertet
sie/Sie
sonderten

Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)

ich
hatte gesondert
du
hattest gesondert
er/sie/es
hatte gesondert
wir
hatten gesondert
ihr
hattet gesondert
sie/Sie
hatten gesondert

sondern Word Family - sondern Related Words - sondern Family Members

sondern Word Family (Wortfamilie)

sondern word family includes related words, derivatives, and word forms. Learn sondern family members with meanings, translations, and usage. Explore sondern related words and expand your German vocabulary.

Derived Noun (Abgeleitetes Nomen)
Sonderung
Meaning: separation / segregation
Example: Die Sonderung der Materialien ist wichtig.
Noun
Related Adjective (Verwandtes Adjektiv)
sonderbar
Meaning: strange / peculiar
Example: Sein Verhalten war sonderbar.
Adjective
Prefix Verb (Präfixverb)
absondern
Meaning: to secrete / to separate off
Example: Die Drüse sondert Hormone ab.
Verb

sondern Usage - sondern Collocations - sondern Idioms - sondern Synonyms - sondern Antonyms

sondern Usage & Related Words (Verwendung & verwandte Wörter)

Learn how to use sondern in context. Discover sondern collocations (common word combinations), idioms, synonyms, and antonyms. Master sondern usage patterns and expand your German vocabulary with related words.

sondern Collocations (Kollokationen)

sondern collocations are common word combinations that native speakers use. Learn sondern word combinations and how to use sondern with other words naturally.

nicht ... sondern ...
not ... but rather ...
High frequency
kein ... sondern ...
no ... but rather ...
High frequency
nicht nur ... sondern auch ...
not only ... but also ...
High frequency
nicht etwa ... sondern ...
not ... but rather ... (emphatic)
Medium frequency
nicht bloß ... sondern ...
not merely ... but ...
Low frequency

sondern Idioms (Redewendungen)

sondern idioms and expressions. Learn German idioms containing sondern with meanings and explanations. Master sondern expressions used in everyday German.

nicht nur, sondern auch
not only, but also
Used to add an additional, often stronger, point after a negation.
nicht etwa, sondern
not ... but rather
Emphasizes the contrast between the negative and positive alternatives.
nicht bloß, sondern
not merely, but
Similar to 'nicht nur, sondern auch' but with a slightly more formal nuance.

sondern Synonyms (Synonyme)

sondern synonyms - words with similar meanings. Find alternative words for sondern and expand your German vocabulary. Learn sondern similar words and their usage.

aber
Meaning: but
Medium similarity
jedoch
Meaning: however
Low similarity
allerdings
Meaning: however / admittedly
Low similarity

sondern Antonyms (Antonyme)

sondern antonyms - opposite words. Learn words with opposite meanings to sondern. Discover sondern opposite words and expand your German vocabulary.

und
Meaning: and
oder
Meaning: or

sondern Semantically Related Words - sondern Contextually Related Words - sondern Thematically Related Words

sondern Semantically Related Words (Semantisch verwandte Wörter)

sondern semantically related words - words that are conceptually or thematically related to sondern. Explore sondern related vocabulary and discover words in the same semantic field. Learn sondern contextually related words to expand your German vocabulary.

aber jedoch allerdings negation Konjunktion

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