Breakdown of Das Buffet ist nicht nur lecker, sondern auch groß.
sein
to be
groß
big / tall
lecker
delicious
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
nicht nur ..., sondern auch
not only ... but also
das Buffet
the buffet
Questions & Answers about Das Buffet ist nicht nur lecker, sondern auch groß.
Does using sondern auch change the word order here?
Not in this case. sondern is a coordinating conjunction (like und or aber), meaning it connects two things of equal value without kicking the verb to the end. Here, it simply connects the two adjectives lecker and groß.
Why is there a comma before sondern auch?
In German, you must always use a comma before the conjunction sondern (but/rather). This rule applies even when it forms the two-part phrase nicht nur ..., sondern auch.
Could I include the subject and verb again and say ..., sondern es ist auch groß?
Yes, you can! However, just like in English, when the subject and verb (Das Buffet ist) are identical for both halves, it sounds much more natural to drop the repetition and just connect the adjectives.
How is the word Buffet pronounced in German?
Since it is a loanword from French, it keeps its original pronunciation with a silent 't' at the end, just like in English. And like many nouns recently borrowed from other languages, it takes the neuter gender (das Buffet).
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