nur

In a sentence

• Ich habe nur einen Apfel gegessen.

  I only ate one apple.

  Here, 'nur' limits the quantity, indicating that the action of eating was restricted to one apple.

• Er wollte nur helfen.

  He just wanted to help.

  In this case, 'nur' expresses intent, suggesting that the person's motive was simple or limited to helping.

• Wenn es nur nicht regnen würde!

  If only it wouldn’t rain!

  Here, 'nur' denotes a wish or longing, adding emphasis to the speaker's desire for a situation.