The word jetzt means "now" in German. But what about the word nun?
In many cases, the two words can be used interchangeably.
Ich gebe jetzt die Kartoffeln hinzu.
I'm now going to add the potatoes.
Caption 32, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Mecklenburg Vorpommern
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Nun lasse ich die Butter in der Pfanne schmelzen
Now I'm going to let the butter melt in the pan
Caption 23, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Brandenburg
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However, while jetzt refers to the present moment in time—like "right now" or "at this instant"—nun emphasizes the current situation or circumstances. It can be translated as "at this point," "in this situation," or "as things stand now."
Da ich nun diese Information hatte, hab ich mir erlaubt, einfach Verschiedenes auszuprobieren.
Now that I had this information, I allowed myself to simply try out different things.
Captions 15-16, Astrologie mit Eylin
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Was machen aber nun Menschen fortgeschrittenen Alters, wenn die eine Sprache lernen wollen?
But what do people of a more advanced age do if they want to learn a language at this point?
Caption 6, Sprachschulen: Sprachcaffe Frankfurt
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Nun is also used as a softer particle like "well" or "so."
Nun, ich möchte mich gerne mehr um meine Kinder kümmern.
Well, I would like to take care of my children more.
Caption 21, Berufsleben Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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Nun, ich möchte, dass Sie damit anfangen, diese Kontakte anzurufen.
So, I would like you to start calling these contacts.
Caption 56, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Further Learning
Nun and jetzt appear in many sentences on Yabla German. Have a look and compare the situations they are used in.
The English noun "the season" has many different meanings, each of which corresponds to a different German word.
When we speak about spring, autumn, summer, and winter, we use die Jahreszeit.
In der kalten Jahreszeit haben Forelle und Karpfen Herzschlag und Atemfrequenz verlangsamt
In the cold season, trout and carp have slowed their heartbeat and the frequency of their breathing,
Caption 20, Alpenseen: Kühle Schönheiten
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The words die Saison and die Spielzeit also refer to periods of time. In most contexts, die Saison is the broader, more general term, while die Spielzeit is specialized for performing arts and competitive sports seasons.
Und es war auch sehr wichtig, nur Obst und Gemüse zu essen, das grade Saison hatte.
And it was also very important to only eat fruits and vegetables that were in season.
Captions 7-8, Deutsch mit Eylin: Ernährungsformen
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Am Ende Sechsundsiebzig zu Einundsiebzig, der zehnte Sieg im zehnten Heimspiel diese Saison.
In the end seventy-six to seventy-one, the tenth win in ten home games this season.
Captions 44-45, Deutsche Bank Skyliners: Basketball-Bundesliga
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In a previous newsletter, we looked at the word die Staffel, which is used in a television context.
In sechs Staffeln „Briefe von Felix“ hast du dreiundzwanzig Länder auf allen Kontinenten bereist:
In six seasons of "Letters from Felix," you have traveled to twenty-three countries on all continents:
Captions 39-40, Eier aus Stahl KIDS: Umweltsünder mit langen Ohren - Part 1
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And finally, there's the verb "to season," which relates to food.
Vier Stiele Dill, und zum Würzen Salz und Pfeffer aus der Mühle.
Four sprigs of dill, and for seasoning, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Captions 13-14, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Brandenburg
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Alles wurde nur sehr wenig gewürzt.
Everything was seasoned only a little.
Caption 6, Deutsch mit Eylin: Ernährungsformen
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Further Learning
You'll find more examples with these words on Yabla German.
The English verb "to try" has a number of different meanings, and each of these corresponds to a different German verb.
For example, the verb versuchen means "to try" as in "to attempt."
Ich versuche nun mit dem Schneebesen die Klumpen zu lösen.
I'm now going to try to break up the clumps with a whisk.
Caption 30, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Brandenburg
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Oh, das hört sich nicht so gut an. Hast du versucht, darüber zu reden?
Oh, that does not sound so good. Have you tried to talk about it?
Caption 37, Die Wohngemeinschaft: Probleme
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A similar way to express this is sich Mühe geben or sich bemühen, although this is better translated as "to make an effort" or "to endeavor."
Auf der Domäne Dahlem bemühen sie sich, ökologischen Landwirtschaftsbau zu betreiben.
At the Domain Dahlem they endeavor to pursue ecologically sound agricultural practices.
Captions 24-25, Berlin Domäne Dahlem - Part 1
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Another meaning of "to try" is more similar "to test" or "to taste." For this, we need to understand the distinction between probieren and ausprobieren. The verb probieren is commonly—though not exclusively—used for food and drink. The verb ausprobieren carries the nuance of trying something out in order to find out how it works, how it feels, or whether you like it. As you can see here, probieren is used for tea and casserole, while ausprobieren is used for skydiving and cooking.
Ich habe den Tee doch selbst probiert.
I tried the tea myself.
Caption 22, Die Pfefferkörner: Endspurt
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Der Auflauf ist nun fertig und bereit zum Probieren.
The casserole is now finished and ready to try.
Caption 58, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Bremen
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Ihr müsst das einfach mal ausprobieren.
You simply must try it out.
Caption 17, Abenteuer und Sport: Fallschirmspringen
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Ich hoffe, ihr probiert das Rezept mal zu Hause aus.
I hope you try out the recipe at home.
Caption 44, Deutsch mit Paula: Vegane Pfannkuchen backen
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When talking about trying food, some people might also use the verb kosten. And yes, it's spelled exactly the same as the verb for "to cost."
Aber die meisten Leute kommen her, um das leckere Essen zu kosten...
But most people come here to taste the delicious food...
Caption 11, Weihnachtsmärkte mit Eva
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Es heißt, es soll auch gut sein, das Heilwasser hier zu kosten.
They say it's also supposed to be good to taste the healing water here.
Captions 66-67, Yabla reist durch Europa: Wiesbaden
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There is also the legal meaning of "to try," and this is vor Gericht stellen.
Further Learning
You'll find many, many examples of these verbs on Yabla German, so search for them and then try writing your own sentences. Or, to say it in German, Versuch es mal!