ever / per
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the ... the
Used in comparisons to express a proportional relationship between two things. A change in one thing leads to a corresponding change in the other.
Je mehr man übt, desto besser wird man.
The more you practice, the better you get.
per
Means 'per' or 'for each' and is used to indicate a distribution.
Die Äpfel kosten zwei Euro je Kilo.
The apples cost two euros per kilo.
ever
Means 'ever' or 'at any time' and is mostly used in questions or negative sentences.
Warst du je in Australien?
Have you ever been to Australia?
depending on
Expresses that something depends on certain circumstances or conditions.
Wir gehen spazieren oder bleiben zu Hause, je nachdem, wie das Wetter wird.
We'll go for a walk or stay at home, depending on what the weather is like.
always
Means 'always' or 'for a long time.'
Diese Tradition besteht in unserem Dorf von jeher.
This tradition has always existed in our village.
The exact meaning of 'je' almost always depends on the words it is used with. Pay special attention to fixed combinations like 'je ... desto' (the ... the), 'je nachdem' (depending on), or 'von jeher' (always/from time immemorial).
Je nachdem, ob die Sonne scheint, machen wir einen Ausflug.
Depending on whether the sun is shining, we'll go on a trip.
This structure has a fixed word order. The 'je' part is a subordinate clause with the verb at the end. The 'desto' part introduces a main clause, in which the verb comes directly after 'desto' and the comparative.
Je schneller du läufst, desto früher kommst du an.
The faster you run, the earlier you arrive.
In the meaning of 'pro' (per), 'je' is used almost exclusively with numbers and units. It is often found with prices, quantities, or speeds.
Die Karten für das Konzert kosten 40 Euro je Stück.
The tickets for the concert cost 40 euros each.
In the meaning of 'jemals' (ever), 'je' mainly occurs in questions or sentences with a negation (e.g. 'nie' (never), 'niemand' (no one), 'kaum' (hardly)). It is rarely used in simple affirmative statements.
Hast du je so etwas Schönes gesehen?
Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?
The expression 'je nachdem' (depending on) can introduce a subordinate clause that begins with a question word (ob, was, wie, wann). This subordinate clause describes the condition.
Ich komme heute oder morgen, je nachdem, was für dich besser passt.
I'll come today or tomorrow, depending on what works better for you.
The expression 'von jeher' means 'schon immer' (always) and is a fixed expression. It can appear at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence to emphasize a long tradition or an unchanged state.
Dieses Fest wird in unserem Dorf von jeher gefeiert.
This festival has always been celebrated in our village.
respectively / each
Je and jeweils can both indicate a distribution among individual people or things. Je typically appears directly next to the quantity or reference amount. Jeweils emphasizes more strongly that the same quantity applies in every individual case; with quantities, both are therefore often possible.
Die Helfer geben den Kindern je zwei Hefte.
The helpers give the children two notebooks each.
Die Helfer geben den Kindern jeweils zwei Hefte.
The helpers give the children two notebooks each.
