Usage Note
Mal is neuter and counts occurrences, as in dieses Mal ('this time') or zum ersten Mal ('for the first time'). Watch the spacing: einmal ('once') and manchmal ('sometimes') fuse into one word, while drei Mal stays separate. As an unstressed particle mal softens a request: Komm mal her.
Examples
"Das war das letzte Mal."
Natural Translation
That was the last time.
Literal Translation
That was the last time.
Related Words
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