German word

erstens

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈeːɐ̯stn̩s/

Meaning

  • adverbfirst

Example

Erstens musst du deine Hausaufgaben machen.

First, you have to do your homework.

Illustration for erstens (first)

More examples

Erstens ist das Projekt zu teuer, zweitens fehlen die Ressourcen.

Firstly, the project is too expensive; secondly, resources are lacking.

Core concept

A speaker labels the opening point in a structured list of reasons.

Common phrases

  • erstens, zweitens

    firstly, secondly

Similar words

zuerst: Indicates the first action in an everyday sequence.
zunächst: Marks the initial stage of a plan or procedure.
zuallererst: Emphasizes what should be done before anything else.

Definition in German

In Aufzählungen oder Argumenten den ersten Punkt einleitet.

Word origin

The adverb erstens developed from erst, meaning first, with the adverbial ending -ens and came to introduce the first point in a sequence.

Usage tips

  • Erstens commonly pairs with zweitens and drittens for arguments, while zuerst is more usual for the first step in a temporal sequence.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word