4

What is the difference between the words zuerst and erste in meaning?

Can it be used interchangeably?

|improve this question

closed as off-topic by c.p., user unknown, Hubert Schölnast, Jan, Eller Jan 26 '17 at 22:36

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

  • "This site is about the usage and rules of the German language. It is not well-suited to replace dictionaries, grammar books or similar. If you have already consulted such general references and still have questions, please edit your question to explain what you found and why it did not help. See this post on Meta for more information." – c.p., user unknown, Hubert Schölnast, Jan, Eller
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

2

"Zuerst" is used as "doing something first, before something else". It can be shortened to "erst". "Erste", however, means "the first" and it can only be used if a woman is first. Therefore, these two are not interchangeable as the meaning is completely different.

|improve this answer
  • 1
    How about Der Erste and Das Erste (First german television channel)? Does the gender really matter? – Richard Neumann Jan 26 '17 at 16:01
  • Und was ist mit "Erste Erfahrungen sammelte ..." – user unknown Jan 26 '17 at 16:43
3

Zuerst is an adverb
Erst(-e/-es/-er/-en/-em) is a count word or maybe an adjective

|improve this answer
2

For Example:

Zuerst gehe ich Milch einkaufen. --> First, I go to buy milk.

If you want to count something you have to use erste.

Das Erste, das Zweite, das Dritte.... -> The first, the second, the third.... Das erste Haus -> the first house

So erste is used as adjective.

You can exchange zuerst with als erstes to keep the same meaning in the first example.

|improve this answer
  • 1
    "Das Erste" sieht aber ein wenig wie ein Substantiv aus. – user unknown Jan 26 '17 at 16:44
  • I am wondering about the sentence: "Erst die Arbeit, dann das Spiel". (My dad always said this to me :) ) Why is it not "Zuerst"? – 6005 Sep 30 '18 at 15:50

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.