antingen...eller

Either...or

Level 2

Use antingen...eller to present two mutually exclusive options, similar to 'either...or' in English.

How It Works

antingen...eller is a correlative conjunction that works in a pair to offer a choice between two possibilities. It emphasizes that only one of the two options can be chosen.

The structure is straightforward: antingen [Option A] eller [Option B].

The key is that Option A and Option B should be grammatically similar. This is called parallelism. You can connect:

  • Nouns: Jag vill ha antingen kaffe eller te. (I want either coffee or tea.)
  • Verbs (in the same form): Vi kan antingen gå på bio eller stanna hemma. (We can either go to the cinema or stay home.)
  • Adjectives: Vädret är antingen soligt eller molnigt. (The weather is either sunny or cloudy.)
  • Clauses: Antingen kommer han idag, eller (så) kommer han imorgon. (Either he is coming today, or he is coming tomorrow.)

When antingen is used as a first clause element , the finite verb follows it. After eller, a subject-first clause or eller så + verb is possible. Inverted order directly after eller also occurs, though some readers avoid it in formal writing. These patterns relate to word order. The shown eller så pattern gives an explicit first element before the finite verb.

Antingen can also introduce a coordinated subject: Antingen Anna eller Bo kommer. The entire subject phrase occupies one clause position; a sentence beginning with antingen therefore does not automatically put the subject after the verb.

Examples (4)

  1. Du kan välja antingen den röda eller den blå klänningen.

    You can choose either the red or the blue dress.

    Word by Word: You can choose either the red or the blue dress.

    Here, antingen...eller connects two noun phrases: 'den röda klänningen' and 'den blå klänningen'.

  2. På semestern ska vi antingen åka till Spanien eller vandra i fjällen.

    On vacation, we will either go to Spain or hike in the mountains.

    Word by Word: On the vacation shall we either travel to Spain or hike in the mountains.

    This example connects two verb phrases: 'åka till Spanien' and 'vandra i fjällen'.

  3. Antingen lagar jag mat hemma, eller så beställer vi pizza.

    Either I'll cook at home, or we'll order pizza.

    Word by Word: Either cook I food at-home, or so order we pizza.

    Antingen fills the first clause position before lagar. In the second clause, så fills that position before beställer; eller links the alternatives.

  4. Han är antingen väldigt smart eller bara väldigt självsäker.

    He is either very smart or just very confident.

    Word by Word: He is either very smart or just very self-confident.

    Connecting two adjectives/adjectival phrases: 'väldigt smart' and 'bara väldigt självsäker'.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting V2 word order (inversion) when a clause starts with 'Antingen'.

    Antingen jag lagar mat hemma, eller så beställer vi pizza.
    Antingen lagar jag mat hemma, eller så beställer vi pizza.

    In the shown whole-clause alternative pattern, antingen occupies the first element position and lagar precedes jag. This is different from antingen introducing a coordinated subject, as in Antingen Anna eller Bo kommer.

  • Leaving the either–or contrast less explicit.

    Jag vill ha kaffe eller te.
    Jag vill ha antingen kaffe eller te.

    Both sentences are grammatical. Eller alone can already offer a choice. Antingen highlights the alternative structure; it is not required for every exclusive choice.

How It Connects

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

antingen...ellerLevel 2Either...or

Learn This First

To understand 'antingen...eller' (either...or), a learner must first be familiar with the basic conjunction 'eller' and have a grasp of standard Swedish word order to correctly position the markers between words, phrases, or clauses.

Words in This Pattern

antingeneller