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, which sounds like this, 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.
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