Breakdown of Wir essen nicht das Hähnchen, sondern den Reis.
wir
we
essen
to eat
nicht
not
das Hähnchen
the chicken
Questions & Answers about Wir essen nicht das Hähnchen, sondern den Reis.
Why do we use sondern here instead of aber for "but"?
We use sondern when we want to correct a negative statement. Because the first part says we are nicht eating the chicken, the second part uses sondern to offer the alternative (the rice). Think of it as meaning "but rather" or "but instead".
Do I always need a comma before sondern?
Yes! In German, you must always put a comma before sondern when it corrects a previous statement, just like you do with aber.
Why is it den Reis instead of der Reis?
Reis is a masculine noun and it is the direct object of the verb essen (it is the thing being eaten). This means it takes the accusative case, changing the article from der to den. The verb essen still applies to the second half of the sentence, even though it is not repeated after the comma.
Why is nicht placed right before das Hähnchen?
In German, you place nicht directly in front of the specific thing you are negating. We are specifically negating the chicken so we can contrast it with the rice, rather than negating the entire action of eating.