Complete & simple guide of using Entweder… oder… with examples

 

You will learn to create sentences like this: 

Entweder Ich komme heute oder morgen. (Either I come today or tomorrow)

Or 

Entweder achte ich auf eine lange Akkulaufzeit oder eine hohe Leistung. (Either I prioritize a long battery life or high performance.)

Highlights 

"Entweder... oder" is a common German conjunction that means "either... or" in English. It connects two or more options and implies that only one can be chosen.

Table of content:

Why do we use entweder oder instead of oder?

How to use Entweder… oder?

Using Entweder ..oder in different positions in a sentence

More examples

Why do we use entweder oder instead of oder?

You can simply use” Ich komme heute oder morgen.” But is there something wrong with that sentence? that's not wrong, but in some conditions, like German B2 exams, you better use entweder oder like: ”Ich komme entweder heute oder morgen.” 

How to use Entweder… oder?

To use "entweder... oder" in German, put "entweder" before the first option and "oder" before the second option, whether it's a full clause or just a few words. Keep in mind that in German, the second part of the verb usually goes at the end of the sentence, which can result in a different sentence structure compared to English.

For instance, the sentence "Either mom or dad will come to pick you up." would be translated to "Entweder Mama oder Papa kommen, um dich abzuholen." in German.

Using Entweder ..oder in different positions in a sentence

After the verb: Ich komme entweder heute oder morgen.

Before the verb: Entweder komme Ich heute oder morgen.

Before the subject: Entweder Ich komme heute oder morgen.

More examples

Was möchtest du heute machen?

Entweder ich bleibe zu Hause oder gehe mit Freunden aus.

what do you wanna do today? either I stay at home or go out with friends.

Entweder trinke ich Kaffee oder Tee zum Frühstück.

Either I'm drinking coffee or tea for breakfast.

In this sentence, "entweder" introduces the options of "trinke ich Kaffee"(I'm drinking coffee) and "trinke ich Tee" (I'm drinking tea), and "oder" connects them, implying that I can only choose one of them.

Ich habe etwas Geld gespart, um entweder Xbox oder PlayStation zu kaufen.

I've saved some money to buy either Xbox or PlayStation. 

In conclusion, "Entweder... oder" is an essential conjunction in German that connects two or more options, implying that only one can be chosen. Understanding how to use it correctly and its slight differences in comparison to English can greatly improve your German language proficiency.