von gestern

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German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Literally, "of/from yesterday".

Adjective[edit]

von gestern (indeclinable, predicative only)

  1. (idiomatic) outdated
    DVDs sind von gestern. Du brauchst Blu-Ray.
    DVDs are antiquated. You need Blu-ray.
  2. (idiomatic, chiefly in negation) born yesterday
    Ich bin doch nicht von gestern!
    I wasn't born yesterday!

Usage notes[edit]

  • The two senses are contradictory. Sense 1 is based on yesterday meaning “of the past” (and hence “obsolete”), whereas sense 2 is based on the same word meaning “recent” (and hence “inexperienced”). This may lead to some confusion, though rarely to actual misunderstandings.
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