German Conversation · Level 143
30 words
German word
ebensowenig
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈeːbənzoːˌveːnɪç/
Meaning
- adverbjust as little
Example
Wir haben ebensowenig Zeit wie letztes Jahr.
We have just as little time as we did last year.
More examples
Sie zeigte ebensowenig Interesse an den bisherigen Ergebnissen.
She showed just as little interest in the results to date.
Core concept
A second empty space matches the first: both contain only a small amount, or none at all.
Common phrases
ebensowenig Interesse an
just as little interest in
ebensowenig wie
just as little as
Similar words
ebenso wenig: Indicating an equally low amount, with the comparison commonly introduced by wie.
genauso wenig: Indicating exactly the same low amount as something else, in speech or writing.
Definition in German
Aussagt, dass etwas im gleichen Maße nicht vorhanden oder knapp ist wie etwas anderes.
Word origin
Ebensowenig developed from the phrase 'eben so wenig', with eben adding the sense of matching an earlier amount and wenig naming the small quantity.
Usage tips
- As a sentence-level adverb, ebensowenig can answer a negative statement, where English often uses 'neither' instead of repeating the comparison.
Other meanings
- neitheradverb
- eitheradverb
Opposites
- ebensovieljust as muchadverb
- genausovielexactly as muchadverb