bereits

Bereits is a German adverb meaning “already” or “as early as,” used to indicate that something has occurred earlier than expected or within a given timeframe. It is common in formal, written, and journalistic German, but also appears in everyday speech, where anderes wie schon häufiger gehört wird.

In sentence structure, bereits usually sits near the verb of the verb phrase. In perfect constructions it often comes between the auxiliary and the participle: Ich habe bereits gegessen. In sentences with subordinate clauses it can appear before the finite verb: Ich glaube, er ist bereits angekommen. It can also accompany time expressions: Bereits seit gestern warten die Besucher.

Etymologically, bereits derives from the adjective bereit, meaning “ready.” The adverbial development extends the sense from being prepared to having occurred already, yielding the meaning “already” in many contexts.

Usage notes and nuance: bereits conveys a stronger feeling of definiteness or surprise and tends to be more formal than schon. In everyday speech, schon is more common and flexible, while bereits often appears in news reporting, official writing, and formal dialogue. Phrases such as “Bereits morgen,” “Bereits heute,” or “Bereits seit Wochen” illustrate its use across time expressions.

Examples:

- Ich habe bereits gegessen. (I have already eaten.)

- Bereits gestern wurden die Ergebnisse veröffentlicht. (The results were published as early as yesterday.)

- Er ist bereits angekommen. (He has already arrived.)

- Wir müssen bereits handeln. (We must act now / promptly.)

Bereits thus functions as a precise, formal alternative to schon, signaling that an event occurred earlier than expected within the discourse.