Neither... Nor (Nem... Nem)
To reject both options in a negotiation, use the correlative conjunction nem... nem (neither... nor). In Portuguese, if you are rejecting the objects or adjectives that follow a verb, you must also make the verb itself negative using não.
| We neither accept the condition nor the agreement. | Não aceitamos nem a condição nem o acordo. |
| This offer is neither fair nor unacceptable. | Esta oferta não é nem justa nem inaceitável. |
If the alternatives being rejected are the verbs themselves, simply place nem before each verb. In this case, you do not need an additional não.
| He neither yields nor refuses the demand! | Ele nem cede nem recusa a exigência! |
Either... Or (Ou... Ou)
When giving an ultimatum and presenting two mutually exclusive alternatives, use ou... ou (either... or).
| Either you yield now, or we refuse the agreement. | Ou cedes agora, ou recusamos o acordo. |
| Either you accept the offer or you lose the advantage. | Ou aceitas a oferta ou perdes a vantagem. |
Whether... Or / Both... And (Quer... Quer)
The conjunction quer... quer can be used in two ways. Most often, it translates to "whether... or" to show that regardless of the alternative chosen, the result stays the same.
| I refuse to yield, whether today or tomorrow. | Recuso ceder, quer hoje quer amanhã. |
| Whether with an advantage or without an advantage, I do not yield! | Quer com vantagem quer sem vantagem, eu não cedo! |
It can also mean "both... and" to group two things together as equally true, often when emphasizing that both options share a particular quality.
| Both the agreement and the offer are unacceptable! | Quer o acordo quer a oferta são inaceitáveis! |