German · Greetings & Essentials
"Only" in German: nur
nur
Only in German is nur. Say Nur Wasser, bitte or Ich habe nur fünf Euro. Nur noch means only … left.
Ordering
Nur Wasser für mich, danke.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce nur
Say it
NOOR
/nuːɐ̯/
NOOR. Short u like book. Soft r.
"Only" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| nur | only / just Default adverb. | Default adverb. |
| nur noch | only … left Remaining amount. | Remaining amount. |
| nicht nur | not only Contrast. | Contrast. |
| nur einmal | only once Frequency. | Frequency. |
How to use nur in real life
- 1Ordering
Nur Wasser für mich, danke.
Only water for me, thanks.
Nur Wasser.
- 2Budget
Ich habe nur zehn Euro bar dabei.
I only have ten euros cash on me.
Nur zehn.
- 3Time left
Wir haben nur noch fünf Minuten.
We only have five minutes left.
Nur noch.
Mistakes English speakers make with nur
Incorrect: Ich only habe Wasser.
Correct: Ich habe nur Wasser.
Use nur, placed near what it limits.
Incorrect: Nur ich mag nicht. (awkward)
Correct: Ich mag das nicht. / Nur ich mag das.
Nur stresses the following piece; place it carefully.
Good to know
Nur is tiny but strong. Soften requests with nur mal or einfach nur when you do not want to sound sharp.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Light snack before a movie
ChatPal
Willst du Pommes oder nur Popcorn?
Do you want fries or only popcorn?
You
Nur Popcorn. Ich bin nicht so hungrig.
Only popcorn. I'm not that hungry.
ChatPal
Okay. Dann nehmen wir nur eine große Tüte.
Okay. Then we'll take only one large bag.
You
Perfekt — nur Salz, bitte kein Karamell.
Perfect — only salt, please no caramel.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Only" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Only" in German
How do you say only?
Nur.
Only water?
Nur Wasser.
Only … left?
Nur noch …
Not only?
Nicht nur.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
