Word
Zuerst arbeitet sie zu Hause, später arbeitet sie im Büro.
Meaning
First she works at home, later she works in the office.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Zuerst arbeitet sie zu Hause, später arbeitet sie im Büro.
Why is zuerst placed at the beginning of the sentence?
In German, an adverb like zuerst (meaning "first" or "initially") can come at the beginning to emphasize the order of events. The conjugated verb (arbeitet) typically stays in the second position, so the subject (sie) ends up after the verb in this case.
Can I switch the word order and say Sie arbeitet zuerst zu Hause?
Yes. German word order is relatively flexible, so Sie arbeitet zuerst zu Hause is perfectly understandable. However, starting with Zuerst puts more emphasis on the idea of "first" before moving on to what follows.
Is zu Hause always spelled as two separate words?
Yes, zu Hause is indeed a set phrase spelled in two words when it means "at home". This is simply the standard way of writing it in modern German.
How is zu Hause different from im Haus?
Zu Hause means "at home," referring to someone’s home or place where they live. Im Haus literally means "in the house," emphasizing being physically inside a building and not necessarily in your own home.
Why do you say später arbeitet sie im Büro instead of dann arbeitet sie im Büro?
While dann can also mean "then," später specifically highlights a later point in time. Später often implies a greater time gap or sequence, whereas dann can mean "next" without suggesting a big time difference. Both can be correct, but später is more explicit about a later phase in the day or schedule.