Breakdown of Das Hähnchen ist kein Gemüse, sondern Fleisch.
sein
to be
kein
no, not any
das Fleisch
the meat
das Gemüse
the vegetables
Questions & Answers about Das Hähnchen ist kein Gemüse, sondern Fleisch.
Why do we use sondern here instead of aber?
Both words mean "but", but sondern is used specifically to correct a negative statement. Because the first part of the sentence says the chicken is not a vegetable (kein Gemüse), we must use sondern to introduce what it actually is (Fleisch).
Could I say nicht ein Gemüse instead of kein Gemüse?
No, that would sound very unnatural in German. When you want to say "not a" before a noun, or when you are negating a noun in general, you always use the negative article kein.
Why is the article for Hähnchen neuter (das)?
Grammatical gender in German depends on the word's ending. The word Hähnchen ends in the suffix -chen, which is used to make things sound smaller or cuter. Every single German noun ending in -chen is neuter, so it must take das.
Is the comma before sondern required?
Yes! Unlike English, where commas before "but" can sometimes be optional, German has strict comma rules. You must always place a comma before sondern when it separates a negative statement from its correction.