schonmal
ever
The colloquial, written-as-one-word form of 'schon mal'. It asks or states whether something has already happened at an earlier point in time.
EXAMPLE
Warst du schonmal in Paris?
Have you ever been to Paris?
schonmal
ever / for now
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Meanings
schonmal
for now
The colloquial, written-as-one-word form of 'schon mal'. It introduces a preliminary action or a first step; it means roughly 'in the meantime' or 'to start with'.
EXAMPLE
Du kannst dich schonmal hinsetzen, ich komme in einer Minute.
You can sit down for now; I'll be there in a minute.
Usage tips
Colloquial spelling
'Schonmal' is the combined spelling common in colloquial language and informal written communication (e.g., chats). The standard correct spelling is always separate: 'schon mal'.
EXAMPLE
Hast du das schon mal probiert?
Have you ever tried that?
Context clue
The meaning can be recognized from context. If 'schon mal' appears in a question in the perfect tense, it refers to a previous experience ('ever'). In a request or suggestion, it means 'to start with' or 'as a first step' ('for now').
EXAMPLE
Wart ihr schon mal am Meer? (frühere Erfahrung)
Have you ever been to the sea? (previous experience)
Asking about experiences
In the meaning 'already before', 'schon mal' is very often used in questions with the perfect tense to ask about general life experiences. The typical sentence structure is: 'Hast/Bist du schon mal ... [past participle]?'
EXAMPLE
Hast du schon mal Sushi selbst gemacht?
Have you ever made sushi yourself?
Introducing actions
In the meaning 'in the meantime' or 'to start with', 'schon mal' introduces a preliminary action. It often appears in requests (imperative) or suggestions.
EXAMPLE
Fang du schonmal mit dem Kochen an, ich komme gleich nach.
You start cooking for now; I'll be right behind you.
Compare with
schonmal vs bereits
already
Bereits and schonmal can express that something happened at an earlier point in time. Bereits is part of standard language and is especially suitable for formal or written texts. Schonmal is the colloquial form and is more appropriate in a casual conversation.
schonmal
Im lockeren Gespräch sagt Mia, dass die Anlage schonmal geprüft wurde.
In a casual conversation, Mia says that the system has already been inspected.
bereits
Im formellen Bericht steht, dass die Anlage bereits geprüft wurde.
The formal report states that the system has already been inspected.
In real life
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