Learn Hardcore German: Entweder schicken wir den Antrag per E‑Mail mit Anhang, oder wir geben ihn am Schalter ab. - Either we send the application by email with an attachment, or we hand it in at the counter.

German main clauses are verb‑second. Entweder takes the first position, so the finite verb (schicken) must be second and the subject (wir) follows it. Without Entweder, you’d say Wir schicken ….

What exactly is the entweder … oder construction? Does it change word order?

It’s the correlative “either … or” that coordinates two alternatives. It doesn’t create a subordinate clause, so both halves stay verb‑second. You normally pair entweder with oder; entweder by itself sounds incomplete.

Is the comma before oder required here?

It’s optional when oder links two main clauses. Many writers include it for clarity with longer clauses: …, oder wir geben …. Without the comma is also correct: … mit Anhang oder wir geben ….

Why den Antrag and not der Antrag?

Because schicken takes a direct object in the accusative. Masculine accusative singular uses den: den Antrag. Der Antrag would be nominative (subject).

Why is the pronoun ihn used later? Could it be es or ihm?

Antrag is masculine, so the accusative pronoun is ihn. Es would refer to a neuter noun; ihm is dative (“to him/it”) and would be wrong here.

What’s going on with abgeben and the ab at the end?

Abgeben is separable. In a main clause the prefix goes to the end: wir geben … ab. In a subordinate clause it stays together: …, dass wir ihn am Schalter abgeben.

Can I drop the repeated wir in the second half?

Yes. Coordination allows ellipsis of shared material: …, oder geben ihn am Schalter ab. That’s read as a statement (not a question) because the subject is understood from the first clause. Keeping wir is also fine and sometimes clearer.

Why am Schalter and not an den Schalter?

An takes dative for location (wo?) and accusative for direction (wohin?). Am Schalter = an dem Schalter (dative) means “at the counter.” An den Schalter (accusative) would focus on movement “to the counter.”

What does Schalter mean here?

A service counter/desk at an office, post office, bank, etc. (not the electrical “switch” meaning of Schalter).

Is per E‑Mail the only correct phrasing? What about via E‑Mail or per Mail?

Per E‑Mail is standard and neutral.
Via E‑Mail is also common and fine.
Per Mail is informal but widespread. Avoid mit E‑Mail for “by email.” Also note the spelling: E‑Mail (with hyphen). Email (one word) in German means “enamel.”

What exactly does mit Anhang mean, and are there alternatives?

It means the message includes an attachment. Common alternatives:

mit einem Anhang — same meaning, with an article.
als Anhang — “as an attachment.”
im Anhang — “in the attachment,” used when pointing the reader to the contents of the attached file(s).

Is mit Anhang okay without an article?

Yes. In set phrases German often omits the article in prepositional groups: mit Anhang, per E‑Mail, per Post, mit Anlage(n). If you want to be specific: mit einem Anhang.

Can I switch the order of per E‑Mail and mit Anhang?

Yes: … per E‑Mail mit Anhang … and … mit Anhang per E‑Mail … are both fine. Both are manner details, and their order is flexible. Many prefer per E‑Mail first, then mit Anhang.

Why is it oder wir geben …, not oder geben wir …?

With the subject present, oder geben wir … would normally be a yes/no question. For a statement, keep verb‑second with the subject before the verb: oder wir geben …. If you omit wir by ellipsis, oder geben … is still read as a statement because the subject is understood from the first clause.

Could I avoid repeating different verbs and keep the structure parallel?

Yes. Use a verb that fits both options, e.g. einreichen:

Wir reichen den Antrag entweder am Schalter oder per E‑Mail (mit Anhang) ein. That keeps the coordinated parts parallel and sounds smooth.

Are there good synonyms for schicken/abgeben here?

schicken/verschicken/senden/versenden — “to send” (by email, post, etc.); schicken is most neutral.
abgeben — “to hand in/turn in” (physically).
einreichen — “to submit” (neutral‑formal; works for both physical and electronic).

What about the prepositions’ cases: per, mit, an?

per is used in fixed expressions with bare nouns: per E‑Mail, per Post, per Fax; you don’t use an article here.
mit always takes dative: mit (dem) Anhang.
an takes dative for location (am = an dem Schalter) and accusative for direction (an den Schalter).

How would I say the opposite with “neither … nor”?

Use weder … noch:

Weder schicken wir den Antrag per E‑Mail, noch geben wir ihn am Schalter ab. As with und/oder, a comma between coordinated main clauses is optional; many include it if the clauses are longer.