adverbadverb

kürzlich

recent · recently

Etwas ist vor kurzer Zeit passiert, nicht lange her.

Definition & meaning

Kürzlich means recently or not long ago. It refers to something that happened a short time before the present or before another point in time.

Example: Ich habe ihn kürzlich gesehen. — “I saw him recently.”

Grammar & Word origin

Kürzlich is an adverb and does not change its form. It is derived from kurz (“short”) and the suffix -lich , expressing the idea of something being only a short time in the past.

Synonyms & antonyms

neulich — “recently” or “the other day”; often used for a specific past occasion and can sound more conversational.
vor kurzem — “a short time ago”; a similar expression that makes the short interval explicit.
jüngst — “recently” or “most recently”; often sounds more formal or literary.

There is no exact antonym. künftig (“in the future”) contrasts with kürzlich because it points forward in time rather than back.