sonst
German
Etymology
From Middle High German sunst, Old High German sus (“thus”). Cognate with Hunsrik sunst, Old Saxon sus[1], archaic Dutch zonst (“otherwise”), Alemannic German sus and suscht.
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)
- Synonyms: andernfalls, ansonsten
- Beeil dich, sonst kommen wir zu spät.
- Hurry up, otherwise we'll be late.
- normally, usually (as opposed to a particular case)
- Synonyms: andernfalls, normalerweise
- Ich trinke sonst nicht so viel.
- I don't normally drink so much.
- (often with noch) else
- Synonyms: weiter, darüber hinaus
- Sonst noch etwas?
- Anything else?
- Was soll es sonst sein?
- What else would it be?
- (colloquial) so; then; consecutive, but directed against an explicit or implicit alternative
- Synonyms: also, dann
- Wenn wir jetzt losgehen, 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 gehen 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!
Derived terms
Derived terms
- ansonsten
- sonstig
- sonstwann
- sonstwas
- sonstwer
- sonstwie
- sonstwo
- sonstwohin
References
- Friedrich Kluge (1883), “sonst”, in , John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
Further reading
- “sonst” in Duden online
- “sonst” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- Friedrich Kluge (1883), “sonst”, in , John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
Plautdietsch
Adverb
sonst
- otherwise