Sondern vs. Aber: German Conjunctions Explained

Das ist kein Apfel, sondern eine Birne. — That's not an apple, but a pear. 🍐 "Sondern" is one of those small German words that trips learners up because English only has one word, "but," for two different jobs. In this lesson, we break down exactly when to use sondern instead of aber, with the rule, the comma, and plenty of real examples.

What Sondern Actually Means

A conjunction (Konjunktion) connects two sentences. German has two words that both translate to "but" in English — aber and sondern — but they are not interchangeable. Here's exactly when sondern is the right choice, and why.

Sondern means "but," "but rather," or "but instead" — and it's used specifically for a direct correction. If something is wrong or false, and you want to correct it within the same sentence, sondern is the word that connects the false part to the true, corrected part.

• Das ist kein Apfel, sondern eine Birne. — That's not an apple, but a pear.
• Der Zug fährt nicht nach Ulm, sondern nach Wien. — The train isn't going to Ulm, but to Vienna.

Think of sondern as sitting in the middle of a scale: on one side, the negated (false) statement; on the other, the true correction.

The Rule: Sondern Only Works After a Negation

You can only use sondern if the part of the sentence right before it is negated — with nicht, kein, nie, or niemand. If there's no negation, you can't use sondern at all.

• Er ist nicht dumm, sondern extrem faul. — He's not stupid, but extremely lazy. (with nicht)
• Wir mieten kein Auto, sondern kaufen zwei E-Bikes. — We aren't renting a car, but buying two e-bikes instead. (with kein)
• Lisa trinkt nie Kaffee, sondern immer nur Tee. — Lisa never drinks coffee, only ever tea. (with nie)
• Ich habe niemanden gesehen, sondern nur eine laute Stimme gehört. — I didn't see anyone, but I did hear a loud voice. (with niemand — note: niemand is a B2-level indefinite pronoun, so don't worry if it's new to you at B1)

Sondern Is a "Position-Zero" Conjunction

Just like aber, und, oder, and denn, sondern doesn't count as a position in the sentence — it sits in "position zero." That's why, in er ist nicht dumm, sondern er ist extrem faul, the subject er is still in position 1 and the verb ist is still in position 2 of the second clause, exactly as it would be in a normal main clause.

Sondern most often connects two full main clauses (Hauptsätze), but it can also connect smaller pieces — just adjectives, or just nouns — as in the Apfel/Birne example above.

One rule to always remember: there is always a comma before sondern.

Dropping Repeated Words After Sondern

When the subject and verb in the second part are exactly the same as in the first part, German usually drops them to avoid repeating the same words twice:

• Er ist nicht dumm, sondern er ist extrem faul → Er ist nicht dumm, sondern extrem faul. (same subject er and same verb ist dropped)
• Wir mieten kein Auto, sondern wir kaufen zwei E-Bikes → Wir mieten kein Auto, sondern kaufen zwei E-Bikes. (only the subject wir is dropped, because the verbs — mieten vs. kaufen — are different)
• Wir haben den Urlaub nicht storniert, sondern wir haben nur verschoben → Wir haben den Urlaub nicht storniert, sondern nur verschoben. (subject and auxiliary wir haben dropped, since this sentence is in the Perfekt tense and both clauses share it)

The rule: you can only drop what's identical in both parts. If the subject is the same but the verb is different, keep the verb and only drop the subject.

More Examples

• Juan kommt nicht aus Spanien, sondern aus Argentinien. — Juan isn't from Spain, but from Argentina.
• Das Auto ist nicht schwarz, sondern dunkelblau. — The car isn't black, but dark blue.
• Wir fahren im Urlaub nie ans Meer, sondern meistens in die Berge. — We never go to the beach on vacation, but usually to the mountains instead.
• Er hat mit niemandem darüber gesprochen, sondern das Geheimnis für sich behalten. — He didn't talk to anyone about it, but kept the secret to himself.

Bonus tip: sondern vs. aber

Both translate to "but" in English, so how do you choose?

• Aber is for a general contrast or limitation — "yes, that's true, but..." — and works in any sentence, negated or not.
• Sondern is only for a direct correction, and it only works if the clause before it is negated (nicht, kein, nie, or niemand).

Simple test: is there a negation right before your "but," and are you correcting something false with something true? Use sondern. Otherwise, use aber.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between sondern and aber?

Aber expresses a general contrast and can be used in any sentence. Sondern is only used for a direct correction, and only works when the clause before it is negated with nicht, kein, nie, or niemand.

Do I always need a comma before sondern?

Yes — there is always a comma before sondern, whether it's connecting two full clauses or just two words.

Can I use sondern without a negation before it?

No. Sondern requires a negated statement (with nicht, kein, nie, or niemand) directly before it — otherwise German uses aber instead.

Does sondern count as a sentence position?

No. Like aber, und, oder, and denn, sondern is a "position-zero" conjunction — the clause after it keeps normal word order, with the subject in position 1 and the verb in position 2.

Can I drop the subject and verb after sondern?

Only if they're identical to the subject and verb in the first clause. If the subject is shared but the verb is different, you keep the verb and drop only the subject.

Want to master conjunctions like sondern with more real, spoken-German examples? Check out our B1 Level Course.