weeder ... nach

Neither ... nor

Level 4

Weeder ... nach means neither ... nor: Ech hu weeder Zäit nach Loscht. The official spelling is weeder.

How It Works

1. Two nouns
Ech hu weeder Zäit nach Loscht. (I have neither the time nor the desire.) There is no keen here, because weeder ... nach takes its place.

2. Adjectives, infinitives and participles

  • Dat ass weeder gutt nach schlecht. (That is neither good nor bad.)
  • Hie ka weeder sangen nach danzen. (He can neither sing nor dance.)
  • Hien huet weeder ugeruff nach geschriwwen. (He neither called nor wrote.)

3. Already negative
Weeder ... nach carries the negation itself. Do not add net or keen as well.

4. The n-rule and the comma
The word before weeder follows the n-rule: Ech hu weeder ..., Mir hu weeder .... The official rules put no comma before nach.

5. Spelling
The official spelling rules give weeder nach as an example of the stressed long ee. The LOD also lists weder and points it to weeder. The positive partner is entweeder ... oder.

Examples (5)

  1. Ech hu weeder Zäit nach Loscht.

    I have neither the time nor the desire.

    Hunn becomes hu before the w of weeder.

  2. Hie ka weeder sangen nach danzen.

    He can neither sing nor dance.

  3. Hien huet weeder ugeruff nach geschriwwen.

    He neither called nor wrote.

  4. Dat ass weeder gutt nach schlecht.

    That is neither good nor bad.

  5. Mir hu weeder de Paul nach d'Anna gesinn.

    We saw neither Paul nor Anna.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding net to weeder ... nach.

    Ech hunn net weeder Zäit nach Loscht.
    Ech hu weeder Zäit nach Loscht.

    Weeder ... nach is already negative. With net as well, the sentence has a double negative.

  • Using oder instead of nach.

    Ech hu weeder Zäit oder Loscht.
    Ech hu weeder Zäit nach Loscht.

    Weeder always pairs with nach. Oder belongs to entweeder ... oder.

How It Connects

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

weeder ... nachLevel 4Neither ... nor

Learn This First

Before Neither ... Nor, learn Either ... Or and Choosing Net or Keen.

Words in This Pattern

weedernach