Breakdown of Das Wetter war teils sonnig, teils kalt.
sein
to be
kalt
cold
das Wetter
the weather
sonnig
sunny
Questions & Answers about Das Wetter war teils sonnig, teils kalt.
Why is there a comma between sonnig and teils?
The conjunction teils ..., teils ... connects two equal parts of a sentence (in this case, the adjectives sonnig and kalt). German requires a comma between these coordinated parts, similar to separating items in a list.
Can I use zum Teil instead of teils here?
Yes, zum Teil ..., zum Teil ... is entirely synonymous and very common. You could just as easily say Das Wetter war zum Teil sonnig, zum Teil kalt. The word teils is just a slightly shorter alternative.
What happens to the word order if I start the sentence with teils?
If you move the first teils to the beginning of the sentence, it takes the first position. Since the conjugated verb must always come second, the subject is pushed after the verb: Teils war das Wetter sonnig, teils kalt.
Does teils sonnig, teils kalt mean it was sunny and cold at the same time, or at different times?
It can mean either, and it can even refer to different places! The phrase teils ..., teils ... can divide things by time (sunny morning, cold afternoon), by location (sunny in the city, cold in the mountains), or it can just describe simultaneous parts of the overall weather. It simply splits the description without defining exactly how the parts are divided.