Breakdown of Peter und Tom sind Zwillinge, aber sie sind völlig verschieden.
sein
to be
und
and
aber
but
sie
they
Peter
Peter
Tom
Tom
der Zwilling
the twin
völlig
completely
verschieden
different
Questions & Answers about Peter und Tom sind Zwillinge, aber sie sind völlig verschieden.
Why is the verb sind in the normal second position after aber?
The word aber is a coordinating conjunction, just like und or oder. These words connect two main clauses without changing the word order. They occupy position zero in the sentence, so the subject (sie) takes position one, and the verb (sind) stays in position two.
Could I use andere here instead of verschieden?
No, because andere means different in the sense of a replacement or alternative, like asking for a different shirt. When comparing two people or things to say their traits are not alike, you must use verschieden or unterschiedlich.
Could I use ganz or komplett instead of völlig?
Yes, you can. The words völlig, komplett, and ganz can all translate to completely or totally in this context. However, völlig verschieden is a very common and natural-sounding pair in German.
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