01
kürzlich
recently
A short time ago; recently. Refers to a point in the near past.
example
Ich habe ihn erst kürzlich in der Stadt getroffen.
I only recently met him in town.
kürzlich
recently
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The adverb 'kürzlich' (recently) is derived from the adjective 'kurz' (short). It describes that an event took place a 'short' time ago.
EXAMPLE
Der Film, den ich kürzlich gesehen habe, war sehr spannend.
The film I recently saw was very exciting.
Position in the sentence
As an adverb of time, 'kürzlich' (recently) can be placed flexibly in the sentence. If it is in position 1, the verb follows directly after it.
EXAMPLE
Kürzlich habe ich meine alte Schulfreundin wiedergetroffen.
Recently, I met my old school friend again.
Use with the past
Since 'kürzlich' (recently) describes an event in the near past, the verb in the sentence is almost always in a past tense form such as the Perfekt or Präteritum.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich kürzlich ein neues Auto gekauft.
He recently bought himself a new car.
Compare with
kürzlich vs erst
only / not until / first
'erst' and 'kürzlich' can both say that something happened a short time ago. 'erst' often emphasizes that it really was not long ago, sometimes with surprise or relevance for the present. For example, you say 'erst gestern' (only yesterday) or 'erst vor einer Woche' (only a week ago). 'kürzlich' is more neutral and sounds a bit more matter-of-fact. It simply names a point in the recent past. If you want to especially emphasize the short time span, 'erst' fits well; if you just want to give information calmly, 'kürzlich' is often better.
kürzlich
Kürzlich hat Luis zu Hause alte Fotos gefunden.
Recently, Luis found old photos at home.
erst
Erst gestern hat sie mit der neuen Kollegin über das Projekt gesprochen.
Only yesterday, she spoke with the new colleague about the project.
In real life
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