Superwörter IV
JE
1. Je by itself can mean ever:
Hast du je den Regen gesehen?
Have you ever seen the rain?
Meine Argumentation, die von der unglaublich geringen Wahrscheinlichkeit ausgeht, daß es überhaupt je zur Entstehung von Intelligenz kam….
My argument, which proceeds from the unbelievably small probability that the development of intelligence ever came about at all….
2. Je by itself can also mean each or per. It only means each in a very limited sense, however, as is explained below.
Note the word order: When je means each, it precedes the thing “being distributed”:
The Simpsons’ hands have four fingers each.
Die Studenten bekommen je DM 5000.
The students each get DM 5000.
When je means per, the word order is as in English:
Germany has 228 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Die Kantine bietet 2 Pfund SPAM je Student.
The cafeteria offers 2 pounds of SPAM per student.
Warning: Do not confuse je and jeder: If you could say “every” as a synonym for “each,” then jeder is used, not je:
Each (could say “every”) student gets 2 pounds of SPAM.
Die beiden Sterne haben je (jeder) 5 Planeten
The two stars have five planets each (could not say “every”)
Jeder (Je) der beiden Sterne hat 5 Planeten
Each (could say “every”) of the two stars has five planets
3. Je … desto, je … um so, and je … je all mean the … the and are used with comparatives. Je … je is becoming obsolete.
Archaeologists are ideal husbands. The older a woman becomes, the more interesting she becomes for an archaeologist.
Je mehr Energie die Atome haben, desto schwerer sind sie.
The more energy the atoms have, the heavier they are.
Je näher ein Planet der Erde steht, um so größer ist sein scheinbarer Rücklauf.
The closer a planet is to the earth, the greater is its apparent backward motion.
Je mehr SPAM die Studenten dem Lehrer kaufen, je bessere Noten bekommen sie.
The more SPAM the students buy the teacher, the better grades they receive.
4. Je nachdem and je nach mean depending on. Je nachdem is followed by question words (wie, wer, wo etc.) or ob, and complete clauses; je nach is not:
The apes were divided into groups depending on their size and sex.
Je nachdem wie das Wetter ist, werden wir die Klasse draußen halten.
Depending on how the weather is, we will have class outside.
Je nachdem wer da ist, wird es eine gute Party.
Depending on who is there it will be a good party.
Je nachdem wo es ist, nehmen wir ein Taxi.
Depending on where it is we’ll take a cab.
ERST
1. Erst can mean first; add adjective endings if (and only if) you use it as an adjective:
First you have to eat your meat; then you will get pudding.
Die erste Mondlandung war 1969, und der erste Mensch auf dem Mond war Armstrong.
The first moon landing was 1969, and the first man on the moon was Armstrong.
2a. With respect to time, erst can also mean only in the sense of not until, not before, or only recently:
Only in the previous century were Kepler’s calculations checked and confirmed [not until].
Wir werden die Resultate erst in einer Woche haben.
We will only have the results in a week [not before].
Ich kenne diese Vokabel, weil ich sie erst gestern gelernt habe.
I know this vocabulary word, because I learned it only yesterday [only recently].
2b. With respect to quantities, erst can mean so far … only:
So far, they have only learned half the vocabulary.
Wir haben erst einen winzigen Bruchteil des Universums erforscht.
So far we have only explored a tiny fraction of the universe.
AUCH
1. Auch means also, but it can also have a variety of other meanings.
2. Auch can mean even, used concessively and/or for emphasis–in this sense it is similar to sogar:
We ate even the last remnant of SPAM.
Auch ohne die heutige Ausmalung des Vorgangs einer Sterngeburt war man tief aufgeregt, das Nämliche zu erleben wie die Weisen aus dem Morgenland.
Even without the contemporary conception of the process of a star’s birth, one was deeply excited to experience the same thing as the Wise Men from the Orient.
Sie hatten doch den Stern schon lange Zeit vor Augen, auch im Morgenlande!
But they had the star in their sight for a long time already, even in the Orient!
3. With a question word (wer, was, wo, etc.), auch can mean whoever, whatever, wherever, etc. Immer can be added for added emphasis:
Whatever happens, we’ll always have Paris ….
Welches System auch immer sich durchsetzen wird …
Whichever system will prevail …
4. [Not tested!] Auch can also be used as a flavoring particle to express annoyance (Du bist aber auch dumm–You sure are dumb), to indicate that something is in fact the case (Wir können fliegen, und wir tun es auch –We can fly, and in fact we do), or to express doubt in questions (Kannst du das auch?–Can you really do that?).