Breakdown of Sie verlangt nichts anderes als die Krone.
sie
she
verlangen
to demand
nichts anderes als
nothing but
die Krone
the crown
Questions & Answers about Sie verlangt nichts anderes als die Krone.
Why does anderes end in -es in this phrase?
The word nichts (nothing) is an indefinite pronoun that is treated grammatically as neuter. When an adjective like ander- follows it, it must take the strong neuter ending -es. This is the same rule that gives us common phrases like nichts Neues (nothing new).
What determines the case of die Krone here?
The conjunction als does not force a specific case of its own; instead, it makes the following noun match the case of the thing it is being compared to. Since the main object nichts anderes is in the accusative case (as the direct object of verlangen), die Krone is also in the accusative.
If the object were masculine, like der Ring (the ring), how would the end of the sentence look?
Because the noun following als must be in the accusative case to match the direct object nichts anderes, the masculine article must reflect that. You would say ...nichts anderes als den Ring.
Could I just say Sie verlangt nur die Krone?
Yes, that is grammatically correct and means exactly the same thing logically (She only demands the crown). However, using the fixed phrase nichts anderes als adds a much stronger, more dramatic emphasis: she demands the crown and absolutely nothing else.
Learn Sie verlangt nichts anderes als die Krone and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free