01
unlängst
recently
A short time ago; recently. It is often used in a more formal or written context.
example
Die unlängst veröffentlichte Studie bestätigt die bisherigen Ergebnisse.
The recently published study confirms the previous results.
unlängst
recently
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The adverb 'unlängst' consists of the negation 'un-' and the adverb 'längst' (long since / already a long time ago). Literally, it means 'not long ago' or 'a short time ago'.
EXAMPLE
Er hat unlängst seine Meinung zu diesem Thema geändert.
He recently changed his opinion on this topic.
Sentence position
When 'unlängst' is at the beginning of the sentence (position 1), the conjugated verb follows directly after it in position 2. This rearrangement is called inversion.
EXAMPLE
Unlängst wurde ein neues Gesetz verabschiedet.
Recently, a new law was passed.
Register and style
'Unlängst' belongs to written language and sounds formal. You often find it in news, reports, or academic texts.
EXAMPLE
Die Firma hat unlängst neue Quartalszahlen präsentiert.
The company recently presented new quarterly figures.
Compare with
unlängst vs längst
long ago / by now
'längst' and 'unlängst' both refer to time, but they mean almost the opposite. 'längst' says that something has already been the case for a long time or happened a long time ago. 'unlängst' means 'recently' and sounds more written or formal. The words can easily be confused because they look very similar. Pay special attention to the 'un-': with 'unlängst', something was not long ago. With 'längst', something has already been done or known for a long time.
unlängst
Unlängst hat die Stadt eine neue Bibliothek eröffnet.
The city recently opened a new library.
längst
Vor dem Termin war Maria längst zu Hause.
Before the appointment, Maria had long since been at home.
In real life
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