German Conversation · Level 23
90 words
German word
gerade
Pronunciation
IPA/gəˈʁaːdə/
Meaning
- adverbjust
Example
Ich habe gerade angerufen.
I just called.
More examples
Er kommt gerade nach Hause.
He is coming home right now.
Core concept
A marker sits directly on the present moment, with almost no distance from it.
Common phrases
gerade jetzt
right now
gerade angekommen
just arrived
Similar words
jetzt: Points to the current moment or present time.
eben: Marks a recent past event in a casual, conversational way.
vorhin: Points to an event that happened a short while ago.
noch: Shows that a state or action is still continuing.
Definition in German
bezeichnet, dass etwas in diesem Moment oder sehr kurz davor stattfindet.
Word origin
German gerade comes through Middle High German from Old High German forms meaning 'straight' or 'direct', and its temporal sense developed from being exactly at a point.
Usage tips
- In 'Ich habe gerade angerufen', gerade marks a very recent past event, while with a present-tense verb it commonly marks an action in progress.