einst

German

Etymology

From Middle High German einst, einest, from Old High German einēst, eines (“once”), from ein (“one”). More at once.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔaɪ̯nst]

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adverb

einst

1. once, formerly (a long time ago)

   Synonyms: früher, (rare) einstens

2. (dated) one day, at one point (sometime in the far future)

   Synonym: irgendwann

3. (obsolete) once, a single time (a single repetition)

   Coordinate term: zwier (“twice”)

Usage notes

• Einst is rarely used in informal registers, and tends to have connotations of profound change or historical developments, while früher is also used informally and for smaller-scale comparisons between past and present.

Derived terms

• einstig
• einstens

Further reading

• “einst” in Duden online
• “einst” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “einst” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• einast

Verb

einst

1. supine of einast