01
alsbald
soon / immediately
An elevated or outdated expression for 'immediately', 'without delay', or 'very soon'.
example
Der Arzt versprach, alsbald nach dem Patienten zu sehen.
The doctor promised to see the patient very soon.
alsbald
soon / immediately
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Meanings
Usage tips
Register and style
'Alsbald' (soon / immediately) is an outdated and very formal word. It is no longer used in modern everyday language and can sound stiff or even funny. You mainly find it in historical literature or in formal, old-fashioned texts.
EXAMPLE
In dem alten Märchen versprach der König, alsbald Gerechtigkeit zu schaffen.
In the old fairy tale, the king promised to bring about justice without delay.
Word structure
The word is a compound of 'als' and 'bald'. 'Bald' means 'soon', and the combination expresses even greater urgency or immediacy, similar to 'as soon as possible'.
EXAMPLE
Er schickte einen Boten, der die Nachricht alsbald überbringen sollte.
He sent a messenger who was to deliver the message very soon.
Sentence position
As an adverb, 'alsbald' can stand in different positions in the sentence. If it is in position 1, the verb follows directly after it (inversion). But it can also stand after the verb and subject.
EXAMPLE
Alsbald erschien der Ritter auf seinem Pferd.
Soon the knight appeared on his horse.
Compare with
alsbald vs gleich
immediate / same
'gleich' and 'alsbald' can both mean that something will happen very soon. 'gleich' is very common and natural in everyday language, for example when you say that you will come in a few minutes. 'alsbald' also means 'very soon' or 'without delay', but it sounds elevated, old-fashioned, or official. Learners may confuse the words because their time-related meaning is similar. In practice: in normal conversations, you almost always use 'gleich'; 'alsbald' is more suitable for formal texts or special stylistic situations.
alsbald
Nach der Beschwerde soll der Schaden alsbald geprüft werden.
After the complaint, the damage should be inspected without delay.
gleich
Warte kurz, ich komme gleich zum Bahnhof.
Wait a moment, I'll come to the train station right away.
In real life
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