souwuel ... wéi och
Both ... and: Souwuel ... Wéi Och
Souwuel A wéi och B means both A and B or A as well as B: Souwuel d'Kanner wéi och d'Elteren hu sech gefreet.
How It Works
1. The pattern
Put souwuel before the first element and wéi och before the second. The two elements are of the same kind:
- Two subjects: Souwuel d'Kanner wéi och d'Elteren hu sech gefreet.
- Two objects: Si schwätzt souwuel Franséisch wéi och Däitsch.
- Two phrases: Dat gëllt souwuel fir d'Schüler wéi och fir d'Enseignanten.
2. Other forms
You will also see esouwuel and ewéi, and och can be left out: D'Erzéiung geschitt esouwuel doheem ewéi och an der Schoul. All of these are correct.
3. The verb
When the pair is the subject, the verb is plural, as after two subjects joined with an: Souwuel de Papp wéi och d'Mamm schaffen hei.
4. Register
This pattern belongs to formal speech, news and writing. In conversation, people usually just say d'Kanner an och d'Elteren or béid. A stronger addition, where the second part is a surprise, is net nëmmen ... mee och.
Examples (5)
- Souwuel d'Kanner wéi och d'Elteren hu sech gefreet.
Both the children and the parents were pleased.
Two subjects take a plural verb. Before sech, hunn may drop its n, as here, or keep it.
- Si schwätzt souwuel Franséisch wéi och Däitsch.
She speaks both French and German.
- Dat gëllt souwuel fir d'Schüler wéi och fir d'Enseignanten.
This applies to the pupils as well as to the teachers.
- D'Erzéiung geschitt esouwuel doheem ewéi och an der Schoul.
Upbringing happens both at home and at school.
Esouwuel and ewéi are the longer forms.
- De Buttek ass souwuel samschdes wéi och sonndes op.
The shop is open on both Saturdays and Sundays.
Common Mistakes
Using an instead of wéi in the second half.
Souwuel d'Kanner an och d'Elteren hu sech gefreet.Souwuel d'Kanner wéi och d'Elteren hu sech gefreet.Souwuel is always paired with wéi or ewéi. Without souwuel, d'Kanner an och d'Elteren is fine.
Using the German als instead of wéi.
Si schwätzt souwuel Franséisch als och Däitsch.Si schwätzt souwuel Franséisch wéi och Däitsch.German says sowohl ... als auch, but Luxembourgish uses wéi (or ewéi) in the second half.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Both ... And: Souwuel ... wéi och, learn Not Only ... But Also.
Related Patterns
- an (And)And: An
An is the everyday way to join two elements.
Level 1 - entweeder ... oderEither ... or
Entweeder ... oder offers a choice instead of combining both.
Level 4 - weeder ... nachNeither ... nor
Weeder ... nach is the negative partner: neither ... nor.
Level 4 - och / nach / schonnAlso, Still and Already: Och, Nach, Schonn
Och means also and is optional after wéi.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice souwuel ... wéi och in Bubblegum
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