schon vs längst
German word comparison
Listen to schon
Listen to längst
| schon | längst |
|---|---|
SHOHN adverb | lengst adverb |
| already; quite; indeed — a very common particle/adverb used to express that something has happened before now, to soften statements, or to add emphasis. | long since; long ago; for a long time already |
How they differ
Längst is stronger than schon in time-related meanings. It does not simply mean that something happened before now; it emphasizes that it happened long ago or should have happened by now.
When to use each
When to use schon: Use schon for a general “already” without strong emphasis on how long ago or how overdue something is.
When to use längst: Use längst when you want to stress that something has been true for a long time or that it is overdue.
Side-by-side examples
- Er ist schon zu Hause.
(He is already at home.) - Er ist längst zu Hause.
(He has long been home.)
Register & nuance: Längst is neutral, but it often sounds more emphatic than schon and is common in both speech and writing.