adverb

bisher

so far

Bis zu diesem Moment oder bis jetzt.

Definition & meaning

Bisher is an adverb meaning “so far,” “until now,” “up to now,” or “previously/hitherto.” It refers to a period extending from the past up to the present moment.

Examples:

ist alles gut gelaufen. — So far, everything has gone well.
habe ich noch keine Antwort bekommen. — I have not received an answer yet.
Das war der beste Film. — That was the best film so far.

It can also describe something that was true in the past but may change now:

war das kein Problem. — Until now, that was not a problem.

Grammar & Word origin

Bisher is an invariable adverb, so it does not change according to case, gender, or number. It usually appears near the beginning or middle of a sentence.

It is formed from:

— until, up to
— toward here; in this direction

The original sense was approximately “up to here.” Over time, it developed its temporal meaning “up to now.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

— so far, until now. This is very close in meaning to and is often interchangeable, though it can sound slightly more formal.
— until now, so far. This is a more explicit and conversational expression.
— until now, to date. It is more formal and sometimes sounds bureaucratic.
— until now. This is especially common in Switzerland and is less usual in standard German elsewhere.

Antonyms and contrasting expressions

— in the future; contrasts with by referring to what will happen from now onward.
— in the future; often used to contrast a previous situation with a new policy or expectation.
— from now on; more formal or literary.
— from now on; more direct and conversational.