conjunction

sowie

as well as

Dieses Wort verbindet Dinge oder Personen und bedeutet so viel wie 'und auch'.

Definition & meaning

sowie has two main meanings:

“as well as,” “and,” or “and also”
It connects people, things, or actions of equal importance. It is often slightly more formal than und .
- Die Eltern sowie die Kinder waren anwesend.
  “The parents as well as the children were present.”
- Bitte schicken Sie Ihren Namen sowie Ihre Adresse.
  “Please send your name and address as well.”
“as soon as”
In this meaning, sowie introduces a subordinate clause referring to a future or repeated time.
- Sowie er ankommt, rufe ich dich an.
  “As soon as he arrives, I’ll call you.”

The temporal meaning is close to sobald , while the additive meaning is close to ebenso wie .

Grammar & Word origin

sowie is a conjunction and is written as one word.

In the meaning “as well as”, it joins equivalent words, phrases, or clauses:
- Sie spricht Englisch sowie Deutsch.
  “She speaks English as well as German.”
In the meaning “as soon as”, it introduces a subordinate clause. The conjugated verb usually comes at the end:
- Sowie er fertig ist, beginnt die Besprechung.
  “As soon as he is finished, the meeting begins.”

The word historically consists of so (“so”) and wie (“how/as”), although its modern meanings are largely fixed.

Synonyms & antonyms

Additive meaning: “as well as”

und — the general word for “and”; it is usually more neutral and common.
ebenso wie — literally “just as,” often emphasizing that two things are comparable.
zusätzlich — “additionally”; it emphasizes an extra element rather than simply linking two equal elements.
neben — “besides” or “alongside”; it is normally a preposition, not a direct grammatical replacement for sowie.

There is no exact antonym of sowie in this meaning. Depending on the context, contrast may be expressed with aber (“but”) or exclusion with ohne (“without”).

Temporal meaning: “as soon as”

sobald — the closest and most common synonym; it is generally more frequent in everyday German.
wenn — “when” or “if”; it is broader and does not necessarily mean “immediately after.”
nachdem — “after”; it emphasizes that one event follows another, not necessarily immediately.

There is no direct antonym. A contrasting time relationship can be expressed with bevor (“before”), depending on the sentence.

Common phrases & collocations

sowie möglich — “as soon as possible”
Bitte antworten Sie sowie möglich.
In standard modern German, so bald wie möglich is more usual.
sowie als auch — often used informally by analogy with sowohl … als auch , but sowohl … als auch is the standard form:
- Sie spricht sowohl Englisch als auch Deutsch.
  “She speaks both English and German.”
sowie … — frequently used in formal lists:
- Kosten für Unterkunft sowie Verpflegung
  “Costs for accommodation as well as meals”