auch

Etymology

From Old High German ouh, from Proto-Germanic *auk. Cognate with Dutch ook (“also”), West Frisian ek (“also, too”), Luxembourgish och (“also”), Swedish och (“and”), Icelandic og (“and”), and obsolete/archaic English eke (“also”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aʊ̯x/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /aʊ̯/ (chiefly southern Germany and Austria; also in the northern half in some positions, e.g. before nicht)

• audio

  (file)

Adverb

auch

1. also; too; as well

   Ich will auch ein Eis. ― Stress on “auch”: I too want icecream.

   Ich will auch ein Eis. ― Stress on “Eis”: I want icecream, too.

2. really; actually; indeed; confirming a preceding statement by someone else

   Ich will auch ein Eis. ― Stress on “will”: I actually do want icecream.

   Das ist auch so. ― Stress on “ist”: It really is like that.

3. really; actually; (oh) so; used for emphasis

   Du bist auch witzig... Wie soll ich das denn ohne Auto alles schaffen?!

   You’re oh so ingenious... How am I supposed do get all of this done without the car?!

4. even

   Auch wenn das stimmt, ist es noch kein endgültiger Beweis.

   Even if this is true, it is no definite proof.

   Auch ein Professor schreibt schon mal was falsch.

   Even a professor may misspell something at times.

5. ever (as in whatever, whenever, however, etc.)

   Was du auch tust, es wird immer einer besser sein.

   Whatever you do, someone will always do it better.

6. (rare, dated) and so

Interjection

auch

1. In answering a yes-no question, used to express that the thing asked about covers part of the truth but not all of it.

   Ach, du bist Bauingenieur. Dann baust du Brücken? — Auch.

   Oh, you’re a construction engineer. So you build bridges? — Yeah. And other things, too.