sekä ... että

Both ... and

Level 3

sekä ... että = Both ... And
Used to link two things with emphasis, signaling that both are equally important or noteworthy.

How It Works

The construction sekä ... että is a standard way to express 'both X and Y' in Finnish. It is more formal and emphatic than using just ja.

1. Grammatical Symmetry and Verb Agreement
The elements must match in form. If the first noun is in the elative case, the second must be too. When 'sekä X että Y' is the subject, the verb is usually plural. However, in existential clauses (There is...) or possessive clauses, the verb remains in the 3rd person singular (e.g., Pöydällä on sekä omena että päärynä).

2. Affirmative Use Only
This pattern is restricted to affirmative sentences. If you want to say 'neither X nor Y', you must use the ei ... eikä construction.

3. Linking Words and Clauses
This pattern links words, phrases, or subordinate clauses. It is generally not used to link two independent main sentences; ja is preferred for that.

4. Listing Multiple Items
When listing three or more things, use commas between the first items and place että before the final one (e.g., sekä A, B että C). Note that for long lists, this can feel heavy, and using simple ja is often clearer.

5. The 'List-Ender' Usage
In formal written Finnish, sekä can be used alone to replace the final ja in a list (e.g., A, B sekä C). This signals the end of the list and is considered very polished style.

Examples (6)

Hän puhuu sekä suomea että englantia.
He/she speaks both Finnish and English.
Word by Word: He/she speaks both Finnish and English.
Both languages are in the partitive case because the verb 'puhua' (to speak) requires it.
Meillä on sekä koira että kissa.
We have both a dog and a cat.
Word by Word: At-us is both dog and cat.
This uses the possessive clause structure. Both animals are in the nominative case.
Sekä äiti että isä ovat töissä.
Both mom and dad are at work.
Word by Word: Both mom and dad are at-work.
When the subject consists of 'sekä X että Y', the verb is in the plural form (ovat).
Hän sekä laulaa että tanssii.
He/she both sings and dances.
Word by Word: He/she both sings and dances.
The pattern can also link two verbs, provided they are in the same tense and person.
Olen iloinen, sekä koska on perjantai että koska aurinko paistaa.
I am happy, both because it is Friday and because the sun is shining.
Word by Word: I-am happy, both because is Friday and because sun shines.
This construction can also link two subordinate clauses, such as those starting with koska.
Kaupassa oli omenoita, päärynöitä sekä banaaneja.
In the shop there were apples, pears, and bananas.
Word by Word: In-shop was apples, pears as-well-as bananas.
In formal writing, 'sekä' can be used alone to introduce the final item in a list.

Common Mistakes

Using 'sekä ... että' in negative sentences.
En syö sekä lihaa että kalaa.
En syö lihaa enkä kalaa.
The "sekä ... että" construction is normally used in affirmative sentences. For negative "neither ... nor" meanings, use the ei ... eikä pattern.
Adding a comma before 'että'.
Syön sekä lihaa, että kalaa.
Syön sekä lihaa että kalaa.
Unlike the että (that-clause), the paired conjunction 'sekä ... että' does not take a comma when linking two items.
Lack of case symmetry between the two items.
Kävin sekä Turussa että Tampere.
Kävin sekä Turussa että Tampereella.
Both items must be in the same case. Since käydä requires a local case, both cities must be inflected correctly.

How It Connects

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

sekä ... ettäLevel 3Both ... and

Learn This First

The pattern 'sekä... että' is an emphatic way to say 'both... and'. To use it correctly, you should already be comfortable with basic linking words like 'ja' (and) and understand that the two items being joined must be in the same grammatical form (case and number).

Words in This Pattern