else

CEFRA1

/ɛls/

adverb · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adverb

    In addition to or instead of someone or something mentioned.

  2. 02

    adverb

    Extra detail

    For otherwise; or else.

Examples

  • I can only wonder if this is the same for everyone else.

  • I won't ask you anything else today.

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ɛlts/

Deep Dive

adverb

Extra meaning
  1. Otherwise, if not.

adjective

Extra meaning
  1. Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.

More examples

In context
  • You found me where no one else was looking.

  • The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?

  • Whatever else she may be, she is not a surgeon.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

If you cannot finish the work, someone blank will do it.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adverb

From Middle English ells, elles, from Old English elles (“other, otherwise, different”), from Proto-West Germanic *alljas, from Proto-Germanic *aljas (“of another, of something else”), genitive of *aljaz (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos, from *h₂el- (“other”). Cognate with Old Frisian elles (“other”), Old High German elles, ellies (“other”), Danish eller (“or”), Danish ellers (“otherwise”), Swedish eljes, eljest (“or else, otherwise”), Norwegian elles (“else, otherwise”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “other”), Latin alius (“other, another”), Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), Arcadocypriot αἶλος (aîlos), modern Greek αλλιώς (alliós, “otherwise, else”), Proto-Slavic *olni.