adverb

immer

always

Dieses Wort beschreibt, dass etwas zu jeder Zeit oder bei jeder Gelegenheit passiert.

Definition & meaning

immer is an adverb meaning “always” or “at all times.” Its exact sense depends on context:

“always”: something happens regularly or continuously.
“ever”: often used in questions or expressions about any time, as in “Have you ever…?”
“increasingly”: with a comparative adjective, it describes something becoming more so over time.
“still” or “again and again”: in common combinations, it can express continuation or repetition.
“forever”: in expressions referring to all future time.

Grammar & Word origin

immer is an invariable adverb: its form does not change for gender, number, or case. Its position in a sentence depends on what it modifies.

Historically, the word developed from an older German form meaning roughly “ever more.” Its origins combine an element meaning “ever” with one meaning “more.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Possible synonyms include:

stets — “always”; often sounds more formal or literary.
jederzeit — “at any time”; emphasizes that something is possible or available whenever needed.
ständig — “constantly”; can suggest something happens continuously or perhaps too often.
dauernd — “continually”; often emphasizes ongoing duration and can sound conversational.

Possible antonyms include:

nie — “never.”
niemals — also “never,” but often more emphatic.
selten — “rarely,” meaning something happens infrequently rather than not at all.