When you want to present two mutually exclusive options—stating that one thing is true, or another, but not both—you use a two-part conjunction. In English, we say "either ... or". In German, the equivalent is entweder ... oder.
Connecting nouns and objects
Most of the time, you will use entweder ... oder to connect two nouns within a single sentence. The structure is just like English: place entweder directly before the first option, and oder before the second.
| I am studying either computer science or another subject. | Ich studiere entweder Informatik oder ein anderes Fach. |
This structure is especially useful when discussing academic paths, such as picking between two university subjects.
| If you want, you can study either biology or physics. | Wenn du möchtest, kannst du entweder Biologie oder Physik studieren. |
You can use the exact same pattern to contrast different types of classes or university degrees.
| The professor offers either a seminar or a lecture. | Der Professor bietet entweder ein Seminar oder eine Vorlesung an. |
| For the job, you need either the bachelor's or the master's degree. | Für die Arbeit brauchst du entweder den Bachelor oder den Master. |
Connecting actions
You can also use entweder ... oder to present a choice between two actions or longer phrases. Simply place the conjunctions right in front of the actions being compared.
| We will either write an exam or do a project. | Wir werden entweder eine Klausur schreiben oder ein Projekt machen. |
