English–German
“otherwise” in German
Pronunciation
IPA/zɔnst/
Example
Beeil dich, sonst verpassen wir den Zug.
Hurry up, or we'll miss the train.
How to say “otherwise” in German
“Otherwise” in German is sonst.
A backup outcome waits beside the expected one when the first condition fails.
Example sentences with sonst
Hausaufgaben erledigt, und sonst?
I've finished my homework, and what else?
Tips for using sonst
- Unlike English 'otherwise', sonst also appears in routine statements such as 'Sonst fahre ich mit dem Bus' to mean 'usually'.
Other German words for “otherwise”
Wir müssen jetzt gehen, ansonsten verpassen wir den Zug.
We have to leave now, otherwise we'll miss the train.
Bitte melde dich, andernfalls kann ich nicht planen.
Please get in touch; otherwise, I can't plan.