Breakdown of Sie isst das Gemüse nicht roh, sondern sie kocht es.
sie
she
es
it
kochen
to cook
essen
to eat
nicht
not
das Gemüse
the vegetables
sondern
but rather
roh
raw
Questions & Answers about Sie isst das Gemüse nicht roh, sondern sie kocht es.
Why is sondern used here instead of aber for "but"?
In German, you use sondern instead of aber when you want to say "but rather." It is used to correct a negative statement. Since the first clause contains a negation (nicht roh), sondern is used to introduce the alternative or correction.
Why is the word order sie kocht es after sondern?
The word sondern is a coordinating conjunction, just like und or aber. These words take "position zero" in a German sentence. That means the normal word order just starts fresh right after it: the subject (sie) goes in position one, and the conjugated verb (kocht) goes in position two.
Why does the sentence end with es instead of a plural pronoun for the vegetables?
The pronoun es refers back to das Gemüse. In English, we usually say "vegetables" in the plural. However, in German, das Gemüse is a singular, neuter noun. Because it is neuter, you must use the neuter pronoun es (it) to replace it.
Why is nicht placed right before roh?
The placement of nicht depends on what exactly you are negating. Here, you are not negating the whole action of eating, but specifically the state of the food being raw. When negating a specific adjective like this, nicht goes directly before it.
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