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German frequency list

No. 505 in German

einst

"Once" or "formerly" (referring to the past).

In a sentence

  • Einst war dieser Baum der höchste im ganzen Wald.

    Once, this tree was the tallest in the entire forest.

    'Einst' is used here to mean 'once' or 'at one time', referring to a point in the past.

  • Die Reiche der Welt werden einst untergehen.

    The empires of the world will someday fall.

    In this sentence, 'einst' means 'one day' or 'someday', referring to an undefined time in the future.

  • Einst sah ich einen Wanderer auf diesem Pfad.

    Once, I saw a traveler on this path.

    'Einst' in this context again refers to 'once' in the past, specifically tied to a personal memory or observation.

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