Beekeeping is a fascinating and complex hobby, but it comes with its fair share of pros and cons. To weigh two sides of a situation in German, we use the correlative pair einerseits ... andererseits (on the one hand ... on the other hand).
Word Order: The Verb-Second Rule
Einerseits and andererseits are adverbs. When you start a clause with one of them, it occupies the first position in the sentence.
Because German enforces a strict "verb-second" rule, the conjugated verb must immediately follow the adverb, pushing the subject to the third position.
The structure looks like this:
- Einerseits
- [Verb 1] + [Subject 1] ..., andererseits
- [Verb 2] + [Subject 2] ...
- [Verb 1] + [Subject 1] ..., andererseits
| On the one hand the beekeeper loves the bees, on the other hand they sometimes sting. | Einerseits liebt der Imker die Bienen, andererseits stechen sie manchmal. |
Notice how the verbs liebt and stechen sit directly in the second position, right after our contrasting adverbs.
| On the one hand he cares for the beehive, on the other hand he gets the honey. | Einerseits pflegt er den Bienenstock, andererseits bekommt er den Honig. |
Weighing Risks and Rewards
This structure is perfect for expressing conflicting feelings or balancing the risks and rewards of an activity—like getting delicious honey at the risk of a painful bee sting!
| On the one hand the sting hurts, on the other hand the honey is delicious. | Einerseits tut der Stich weh, andererseits ist der Honig lecker. |
| On the one hand the bees buzz beautifully, on the other hand the sting is painful. | Einerseits summen die Bienen schön, andererseits ist der Stich schmerzhaft. |
