Außer Kaffee trinke ich auch Tee.

Besides coffee, I also drink tea.

Breakdown of Außer Kaffee trinke ich auch Tee.

• trinken: to drink
• ich: I
• auch: also
• der Kaffee: the coffee

Questions & Answers about Außer Kaffee trinke ich auch Tee.

What does außer mean here?

Here außer means apart from / besides.

So Außer Kaffee trinke ich auch Tee means something like:

• Besides coffee, I also drink tea.
• Apart from coffee, I drink tea too.

In other contexts, außer can also mean except for, so learners often notice that it has more than one possible English translation. In this sentence, the presence of auch makes the additive meaning clear: coffee is included, and tea is added.

Why is the verb trinke before ich?

Because German main clauses usually follow the verb-second rule.

The sentence begins with Außer Kaffee, which counts as the first element. That means the conjugated verb must come next:

• Außer Kaffee
  • trinke
    • ich
      • auch Tee

If you start instead with ich, then the verb still has to be second:

• Ich trinke außer Kaffee auch Tee.

Both are correct. The version with Außer Kaffee at the front gives that part more emphasis.

What case does außer take?