what is it?
German uses the particles schon, noch, and erst to signal where something stands relative to an expectation — earlier, later, or still ongoing. schon means «already» or «sooner than expected». noch means «still» (a situation continues); in the negative, noch nicht means «not yet» and nicht mehr means «no longer». erst means «only» or «not until», implying that less has happened — or that something will happen later — than expected, with more still to come. These three particles are not interchangeable with plain nur («only» as a neutral restriction) because they all carry an expectation contrast that nur lacks.
when to use it
schon — use when something has happened earlier than expected, or when you are checking whether a state has been reached yet. It frames the situation as ahead of schedule or surprising in its earliness.
noch — use when a situation is continuing and the speaker implies it might have been expected to stop. In positive sentences: «still». In negative sentences, choose carefully: noch nicht = «not yet» (the situation has not started but may); nicht mehr = «no longer» (the situation has ended).
erst — use when a time or quantity is later or smaller than expected, and when the implication is that more will follow. With time expressions it means «not until»: erst um zehn = «not until ten». With quantities it signals that the amount is surprisingly low: erst drei Seiten = «only three pages (so far)». Do not use nur here — it would remove the implication that more is coming.
formation
All three words are uninflected particles — they never change form. They slot into the sentence as adverbials, typically in the Mittelfeld (the middle field after the finite verb) or directly before the phrase they modify. The table below shows each particle, its core meaning, and its negative counterpart where one exists.
| particle | core meaning | negative form | negative meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| schon | already / sooner than expected | noch nicht | not yet |
| noch | still | nicht mehr | no longer |
| erst | not until / only (so far) | — | — |
Note that noch nicht and nicht mehr are the negative counterparts of schon and noch respectively — they are not interchangeable. «Bist du schon fertig?» → «Nein, noch nicht.» The question uses schon; the negative answer uses noch nicht, not nicht mehr.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using nur instead of erst for «not until»
❌ Er kommt nur um zehn. ✔ Er kommt erst um zehn.
nur restricts without implying lateness. erst is the correct choice when you mean «not until a certain time» — it tells the listener that ten o'clock is later than they might have hoped.
Confusing noch nicht with nicht mehr
❌ «Sie wohnt noch nicht hier» when you mean she has moved away.
noch nicht = she has not arrived yet (but might). nicht mehr = she used to live here but no longer does. The two phrases describe opposite situations: one looks forward, the other looks back.
Dropping schon or noch and losing the expectation contrast
❌ «Bist du fertig?» when you mean to express surprise that the person might be done so quickly.
Without schon, the question is neutral — it simply asks whether the task is complete. Adding schon («Bist du schon fertig?») signals that finishing at this point would be earlier than expected. Similarly, omitting noch from «Das Café ist noch geöffnet» removes the implication that staying open is noteworthy.