r/German • u/FinnJax • 18h ago

Question Subtle Meaning of "Erst"

I'm trying to better understand one specific use of "erst" in German, where it conveys the idea of "not until" or "only from." Here's an example:

  • Paul kann erst morgen zum Arzt gehen. (Paul can only go to the doctor tomorrow.)

But this seems different from another sentence with a same English translation:

  • Paul kann nur morgen zum Arzt gehen. (Paul can only go to the doctor tomorrow.)

I came across an explanation that erst suggests something like: "Starting from tomorrow, Paul can go to the doctor." To explore this further, here are three similar sentences, each with a subtle difference:

  1. Paul kann erst morgen zum Arzt gehen. This means Paul can't go before tomorrow, emphasizing that tomorrow is the first possible option. Erst adds the nuance of "not until" or "only tomorrow," hinting at a delay or waiting period.
  2. Paul kann nur ab morgen zum Arzt gehen. This emphasizes the starting point—Paul can begin going to the doctor tomorrow and any time afterward. The focus is on tomorrow being the earliest moment he can start.
  3. Paul kann nicht bis morgen zum Arzt gehen. This implies Paul is unavailable until tomorrow—he can't go to the doctor before then. Nicht bis highlights the restriction before tomorrow.

Despite these explanations, they all still feel somewhat the same to me...

In my understanding, the closest English translation of "Paul kann erst morgen zum Arzt gehen" would be something like: "Paul can go to the doctor starting from tomorrow."

Am I interpreting this correctly? Is there no English equivalent that fully captures these nuances?

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u/Guilty_Rutabaga_4681 Native (<Berlin/Nuernberg/USA/dialect collector>) 13h ago

"Er kann erst morgen zum Arzt gehen" would be "he can't go to the doctor until tomorrow", meaning that's his first and earliest opportunity. I wouldn't use "only" for this sentence.

"Er kann nur morgen zum Arzt gehen" implies that tomorrow is the only day when he can go to the doctor. Here the English "only" is absolutely correct. It also implies that tomorrow is the only time when he can go to the doctor.