sonst
German
Etymology
From Middle High German sunst, Old High German sus (“thus”). Cognate with Hunsrik sunst, Old Saxon sus, Dutch zus.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /zɔnst/ (official standard)
- IPA(key): /zɔns/ (generally before a consonant; colloquially also in pausa)
Audio (file)
Adverb
sonst
- otherwise (under different circumstances)
- Beeil dich, sonst kommen wir zu spät.
- Hurry up, otherwise we'll be late.
- normally, usually
- Ich trinke sonst nicht so viel.
- I don't normally drink so much.
- (often with noch) else
- Sonst noch etwas?
- Anything else?
- (colloquial) so; then; consecutive, but directed against an explicit or implicit alternative
- Wenn wir jetzt losgehn, sind wir eh zu spät. Sonst lass uns morgen noch mal wiederkommen.
- If we go there now, we’ll be late anyway. So [let’s not do that but instead] let’s come back again tomorrow.
- Wir gehn grad in die Stadt. Also, wenn du Lust hast... sonst komm doch mit!
- We’re headed for the city. So, if you’re interested... [maybe you’re not, but if you are] then come along!
- Wenn wir jetzt losgehn, sind wir eh zu spät. Sonst lass uns morgen noch mal wiederkommen.
Synonyms
- (otherwise): andernfalls; ansonsten
- (normally): andernfalls, normalerweise
- (else): weiter; darüber hinaus
- (so): also; dann
References
- sonst in Kluge's Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, 1891
Further reading
- sonst in Duden online
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