Correlative conjunctions come in pairs that work together to link two parallel elements: both ... and, not only ... but also, either ... or, neither ... nor. Dutch has a rich set of these, and most of them are straightforward — but two carry traps that catch nearly every English speaker. Niet alleen ... maar ook triggers inversion when it opens a sentence, and noch ... noch is inherently negative, so adding niet the way you might in English double-negates the sentence. This page works through each pair and flags exactly where the word order or the logic differs from English.
zowel ... als = both ... and
Zowel ... als links two items that both hold. It is the standard, neutral way to say both A and B, and it works smoothly inside a clause without disturbing the verb.
Ze spreekt zowel Frans als Duits vloeiend.
She speaks both French and German fluently.
Zowel de kinderen als de ouders waren enthousiast.
Both the children and the parents were enthusiastic.
Note in the second example that when the zowel ... als phrase is the subject, the verb is plural (waren), because you're talking about two parties together. The als here is the linking als of this pair — don't confuse it with conditional als (if) or comparative als (than/as); the zowel up front signals which one it is.
niet alleen ... maar ook = not only ... but also (watch the inversion)
Niet alleen ... maar ook means not only ... but also. Mid-clause it is harmless. But Dutch speakers very often front niet alleen for emphasis — and because niet alleen is then the first element of a V2 main clause, the verb must come second, before the subject. This is the inversion trap.
| Position | Word order | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fronted | Niet alleen + VERB + subject ... | Niet alleen kwam hij te laat, ... |
| mid-clause | subject + verb + ... niet alleen ... | Hij was niet alleen te laat, ... |
Niet alleen kwam hij te laat, maar hij had ook zijn huiswerk niet gemaakt.
Not only did he arrive late, but he also hadn't done his homework. (fronted 'niet alleen' → verb 'kwam' before subject 'hij')
Niet alleen is het goedkoper, het smaakt ook nog eens beter.
Not only is it cheaper, it also tastes better on top of that.
Hij is niet alleen aardig, maar ook ontzettend grappig.
He's not only kind, but also incredibly funny. (mid-clause — no inversion needed)
English does the same inversion ("Not only did he arrive late") with do-support, so the instinct is half-right; the error is forgetting to apply it in Dutch and writing Niet alleen hij kwam te laat. The maar ook half of the pair is flexible — ook can attach to whatever element it emphasises, and maar may even be dropped in favour of just ook / maar ook.
of ... of = either ... or
Of ... of offers a choice between two alternatives: either A or B. It does not disturb the verb and needs no negation.
Je kunt of vandaag of morgen langskomen.
You can come by either today or tomorrow.
Of we nemen de auto, of we gaan met de trein.
Either we take the car, or we go by train.
Often the first of is dropped and a single of carries the "or" (Je kunt vandaag of morgen langskomen); the doubled of ... of simply adds emphasis to the exclusive choice. Don't confuse this with subordinating of (whether) — the pairing makes the "either/or" reading clear.
noch ... noch = neither ... nor (already negative — add no niet)
Noch ... noch means neither ... nor. This is the pair that most often goes wrong, because it is inherently negative: noch already carries the negation. In English you might be tempted to say "I don't speak neither..." in careless speech, but in Dutch adding niet (or geen) is a genuine error that flips the meaning into a double negative.
Ik spreek noch Spaans noch Italiaans.
I speak neither Spanish nor Italian. (no 'niet' anywhere — noch is already negative)
Noch de buren noch de huisbaas wist ervan.
Neither the neighbours nor the landlord knew about it.
Hij gaf noch antwoord noch enige uitleg.
He gave neither an answer nor any explanation.
Noch ... noch is somewhat formal/literary; in everyday speech Dutch speakers more often use geen ... en ook geen ... or simply niet ... en ook niet .... But you must recognise noch and, above all, never pair it with another negative. A subtlety: when noch ... noch joins two singular subjects, the verb is conventionally singular (wist, gaf), treating the two as ruled out one by one.
hoe ... hoe / hoe ... des te = the more ... the more
To express proportion — the more X, the more Y — Dutch uses hoe + comparative ..., hoe + comparative ... or the slightly more formal hoe + comparative ..., des te + comparative .... The first hoe-clause is a subordinate clause, so its verb goes to the end. The second clause behaves differently depending on which marker you pick: after a second hoe, the standard, preferred order keeps the subject before the verb (so the verb again lands at the end of that clause); after des te, the clause inverts (verb before subject). Getting this split right is the whole trick.
Hoe ouder ik word, hoe minder ik begrijp.
The older I get, the less I understand. (both halves run subject-then-verb: 'word' and 'begrijp' at the end)
Hoe meer je oefent, des te makkelijker wordt het.
The more you practise, the easier it gets. (hoe ... des te variant — here the second clause inverts: 'wordt het')
A common learner error is to invert after a second hoe ("hoe makkelijker wordt het"). It is heard, but the careful, standard choice keeps the subject first — hoe makkelijker het wordt — with the verb at the end, just like the first half. Save inversion for the des te variant. It's worth memorising one model sentence of each type and reusing its shape.
enerzijds ... anderzijds = on the one hand ... on the other
For balanced contrast in formal or written register, enerzijds ... anderzijds (on the one hand ... on the other) frames two sides of an argument. Both halves are conjunctional adverbs, so each triggers inversion when it opens its clause.
Enerzijds wil ik blijven, anderzijds mis ik mijn familie.
On the one hand I want to stay; on the other, I miss my family. (each adverb → inversion: 'wil ik', 'mis ik')
Common Mistakes
❌ Ik spreek noch Spaans noch geen Italiaans.
Incorrect — 'noch' is already negative; adding 'geen' (or 'niet') creates a double negative.
✅ Ik spreek noch Spaans noch Italiaans.
I speak neither Spanish nor Italian.
❌ Niet alleen hij kwam te laat, maar hij had ook niets gedaan.
Incorrect — fronted 'niet alleen' requires inversion; the verb must come before the subject 'hij'.
✅ Niet alleen kwam hij te laat, maar hij had ook niets gedaan.
Not only did he arrive late, but he also hadn't done anything.
❌ Ze spreekt zowel Frans en Duits.
Incorrect — the partner of 'zowel' is 'als', not 'en'.
✅ Ze spreekt zowel Frans als Duits.
She speaks both French and German.
❌ Hoe meer je oefent, het wordt makkelijker.
Incorrect — the second half needs its own 'hoe + comparative', not a plain main clause.
✅ Hoe meer je oefent, hoe makkelijker het wordt.
The more you practise, the easier it gets. (second 'hoe'-clause keeps subject first: 'het wordt')
❌ Enerzijds ik wil blijven, anderzijds ik mis mijn familie.
Incorrect — 'enerzijds' and 'anderzijds' are adverbs in first position, so each clause must invert.
✅ Enerzijds wil ik blijven, anderzijds mis ik mijn familie.
On the one hand I want to stay; on the other, I miss my family.
Key Takeaways
- zowel ... als = both ... and (partner is als, never en); plural verb when it's the subject.
- niet alleen ... maar ook = not only ... but also; fronted niet alleen forces inversion (verb before subject).
- of ... of = either ... or — no negation, no special word order.
- noch ... noch = neither ... nor and is already negative — never add niet or geen; it's formal/literary.
- hoe ... hoe / hoe ... des te = the more ... the more: the first hoe-clause is verb-final; after a second hoe keep the subject first (hoe makkelijker het wordt), but after des te the clause inverts (des te makkelijker wordt het).
- enerzijds ... anderzijds = on the one hand ... on the other; both adverbs trigger inversion (formal register).
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Start learning Dutch→Related Topics
- Subordinating Conjunctions and Verb-Final OrderA2 — The single rule behind every Dutch subordinate clause: the conjunction sends the finite verb to the end — plus the inversion that follows when the clause comes first.
- Conjunctional Adverbs: Daarom, Dus, Toch, Echter, BovendienB2 — Words like daarom, dus and echter connect ideas in meaning but are grammatically adverbs — so when they open a clause they force V2 inversion, unlike want (no change) and omdat (verb-final).
- Verb-Second (V2) in Main ClausesA1 — The backbone of Dutch main clauses — the finite verb sits in the second position, where 'position' means the second constituent, not the second word.
- Inversion After a Fronted ElementA2 — When anything but the subject opens a Dutch main clause, the subject and finite verb swap — including the hallmark 'verb-comma-verb' collision after a fronted subordinate clause.
- Word Order in Coordinated ClausesB2 — Coordinating conjunctions (en, maar, want, of, dus) join two main clauses without sending the verb to the end — each clause keeps its normal verb-second order — and shared subjects and verbs can be gapped.