German word of the day: Immerhin

Why do I need to know Immerhin?

Because it’s a popular German word, particularly among the younger generation.

What does it mean?

At first glance, the word immerhin may have German language learners scratching their heads, as it is a combination of the words for "always" (immer) and "hin" (towards). But "always towards" doesn't make a lot of sense as a translation. In fact, the most common translation for immerhin in English is "at least" or "anyway". 

But unlike the word sowieso, which also means "anyway" in a "let's move on" kind of way, immerhin is often used to introduce a positive aspect or a silver lining in a situation, or to express some level of consolation or satisfaction, even if the overall outcome may not be ideal.

So you might hear it in a sentence like this:

Es besteht wenig Aussicht auf Erfolg, aber versuchen würde ich es immerhin

There is little chance of success, but I would still try, after all.

Nowadays, the word immerhin is commonly used - particularly by those below the age of 40 - on its own as a word of encouragement to keep going, despite defeat (a bit like "always towards" maybe?). 

For example, you might hear someone say:

Wir haben heute 3:0 verloren, aber immerhin.

We lost 3:0 today. But, we keep going.

Another positive-tinged use of immerhin is to mean "at least". For example you might say:

Zwar fehlte der Sonnenschein, doch hat es immerhin nicht geregnet.