anno
In the year; comes before a year and is used mainly in historical contexts or humorously.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Haus wurde anno 1750 erbaut.
This house was built anno 1750.
anno
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Meanings
anno dazumal
In times long gone; used colloquially and often humorously. The expression “anno Tobak” also refers to a time far in the past that seems old-fashioned.
EXAMPLE
Bei uns wird noch mit Geräten wie anno dazumal gearbeitet.
In our company, we still work with equipment like anno dazumal.
Usage tips
With a year
“Anno” comes directly before the year and does not need an additional preposition. The entire time expression can also appear at the beginning of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Anno 1820 eröffnete die Familie ihre erste Bäckerei.
Anno 1820, the family opened its first bakery.
Comparisons with wie
You can use “wie anno dazumal” (like in the old days) to compare present-day activities or conditions with those of the past. The expression is especially suitable for describing how people work, live, or make something.
EXAMPLE
In dieser Backstube wird das Brot noch wie anno dazumal von Hand geknetet.
In this bakery, the bread is still kneaded by hand like anno dazumal.
Typical expression
“Von anno Tobak” (from the old days) often comes after a noun or is used with “sein” (to be). It humorously describes equipment, methods, or opinions as very old-fashioned.
EXAMPLE
Mit solchen Methoden von anno Tobak können wir das Problem nicht lösen.
We can't solve the problem with methods from anno Tobak.
In real life
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