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How to Say ‘I've only been in Hamburg for two weeks.’ in German

Ich bin erst seit zwei Wochen in Hamburg.

ikh bin airst zite tsvy VOKH-en in HAM-boorg

[ikh bin airst zite tsvy VOKH-en in HAM-boorg]

💬 Usage Tip: With seit, German uses the present tense where English says "have been": ich bin, not a past form. Adding erst gives it the sense of "only" or "not yet long".

Phrase Breakdown

Ich bin erst

ikh bin airst

I have only been

'Erst' means 'only (so far)'. German uses the present tense here.

Example

Ich bin erst gestern angekommen.

I only arrived yesterday.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

bin

[bin]

First-person singular form of 'sein' meaning 'to be.'

Example

Beim Kennenlernen sage ich: Ich bin neu hier.

When meeting people I say: I am new here.

erst

[airst]

only (so far)

With time amounts, it means 'only' or 'just', stressing that it is less than expected.

Example

Es ist erst acht Uhr.

It's only eight o'clock.

seit zwei Wochen

zite tsvy VOKH-en

for two weeks

A duration phrase with 'seit'. Start 'zwei' with a 'ts' sound.

Example

Es regnet seit zwei Wochen.

It's been raining for two weeks.

Words in this phrase

seit

[zite]

since; for

Used with time expressions to say from when something started or how long it has been happening.

Example

Seit gestern ist das Wasser kalt.

Since yesterday the water has been cold.

zwei

[tsvy]

two

Cardinal number meaning two.

Example

Ich habe zwei Termine heute.

I have two appointments today.

Wochen

[VOKH-en]

weeks

Plural of 'die Woche', a period of seven days.

Example

Ich bleibe zwei Wochen hier.

I'm staying here for two weeks.

in Hamburg.

in HAM-boorg

in Hamburg

Breathe the 'H' clearly. The 'g' at the end sounds like a 'k'.

Example

Ich wohne in Hamburg.

I live in Hamburg.

Words in this phrase

[in]

Expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be enclosed or surrounded by something else.

Example

Das Haus steht in Trümmern.

The house is in ruins.

Hamburg

[HAM-boorg]

Hamburg

Large port city in northern Germany.

Example

Hamburg hat einen großen Hafen.

Hamburg has a big harbor.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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