Adverb
eher
Pronunciation: /ˈeːər/
rather
B1
rank #286
Meanings
Adverb
- rather
- fairly, relatively, somewhat; expresses a weakened degree
- sooner, more readily, preferably; expresses a preference
- more precisely speaking, in fact, more like; used to replace a word or phrase with another
Example sentence
Warum habt ihr uns das nicht eher gesagt?
Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?
Usage
- eher … als … — rather … than …; a preference or assessment
- eher klein — rather small; a cautious assessment of a quality
Ich würde eher den Zug als das Auto nehmen.
I would take the train rather than the car.