enten ... eller

Either ... or

Level 3

Use enten ... eller to present a precise choice between two or more options.

How It Works

The Danish construction enten ... eller is the standard way to express an explicit choice. While most commonly used for two options, it can also be used to list three or more alternatives.

1. Connecting Words and Phrases
When connecting simple elements like nouns or verbs, the word order remains standard:

  • Jeg vil have enten kaffe eller te. (I want either coffee or tea.)

2. Connecting Main Clauses (The V2 Rule)
If you start a sentence with enten to introduce the first option, it triggers subject-verb inversion because enten occupies the first position. The finite verb must be the second element:

  • Enten kommer du nu, eller også går jeg.

3. The 'eller også' Variant
When connecting two full sentences, Danes very frequently add også after eller. This often triggers inversion in the second clause as well (eller også går jeg) because også acts as a sentence adverb in the first position of that clause.

4. Comparison with 'eller'
While eller (or) can be used alone, enten ... eller is more precise and explicit, clearly defining the boundaries of the choice from the beginning. It is used across all registers, from casual speech to literature.

5. Cultural Note: The Noun Form
In Danish, you can also use the phrase as a noun: et enten-eller (an either-or). This is famously associated with the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard's work "Enten - Eller", referring to a fundamental choice between different ways of living.

Examples (4)

  1. Du kan enten få æbler eller pærer.

    You can have either apples or pears.

    Word by Word: You can either get apples or pears.

    Here, the pattern connects two nouns. The word order is not affected.

  2. Enten skal vi spise nu, eller også bliver maden kold.

    Either we must eat now, or else the food will get cold.

    Word by Word: Either shall we eat now, or also becomes the food cold.

    Note the inversion (skal vi) because 'enten' starts the sentence, and the use of 'eller også' to connect the second clause.

  3. Han er enten i biografen eller på arbejde.

    He is either at the cinema or at work.

    Word by Word: He is either in the cinema or on work.

    This shows the pattern connecting two prepositional phrases.

  4. Enten vinder de kampen, eller også taber de alt.

    Either they win the match, or else they lose everything.

    Word by Word: Either win they the match, or also lose they everything.

    A classic example of the binary choice emphasizing the two possible outcomes.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting subject-verb inversion after 'enten'.

    Enten du kommer nu, eller også går jeg.
    Enten kommer du nu, eller også går jeg.

    Because 'enten' is placed at the start of the sentence, it triggers the V2 rule, requiring the verb to come before the subject.

  • Using 'enten' for negative choices ('neither... nor').

    Jeg vil ikke have enten kaffe eller te.
    Jeg vil hverken have kaffe eller te.

    In Danish, you should use hverken ... eller for negative alternatives instead of negating 'enten'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

enten ... ellerLevel 3Either ... or

Learn This First

To understand 'enten ... eller' (either ... or), you first need to be comfortable with the basic conjunction 'eller'. Since this pattern often connects full sentences, you must also understand Danish V2 word order to correctly place the verb when the conjunctions introduce new clauses.

Words in This Pattern

enteneller