Nicht einmal
Example: Er hat nicht einmal das Buch gelesen.
Definition
"Nicht einmal" is a German expression used to emphasize that something has not happened or been done even to the smallest degree. For example, in the phrase "Er hat nicht einmal das Buch gelesen," it stresses that he didn't even read the book.
Etymology
The phrase "nicht einmal" combines "nicht," meaning 'not,' with "einmal," meaning 'once' or 'one time.' Together, it literally means 'not even once,' used to emphasize the absence or failure of an action. Did you know? This phrase is often used to highlight something surprisingly or disappointingly not done at all.
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"Nicht einmal" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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