 | English  | German | |
 | once {adv} [at some time in the past] | 923 einst [geh.] [früher (einmal), vor langer Zeit] | |
| illustrious {adj} [deeds, past] | 500 glorreich | |
| colorful {adj} [fig.] [Am.] [e.g. colorful past] | 352 bewegt [fig.] [z. B. bewegte Vergangenheit] | |
| wrought {adj} {past-p} [past-p of wreak] | 339 angerichtet [bewirkt] [Schaden, Unheil etc.] | |
| yore {adv} [obs.] [in the past, long ago] | 264 vormals <vorm.> | |
| once {conj} [with past tense] | 123 als | |
| checkered {adj} [Am.] [past, history, career] | 97 wechselhaft | |
| yore {adv} [obs.] [in the past, long ago] | 94 ehedem [geh.] | |
| sb./sth. passes [goes past] | 87 jd./etw. passiert | |
| once {adv} [at some time in the past, formerly] | 67 einstmals [geh.] [früher (einmal)] | |
| hidebound {adj} [oriented toward the past, reactionary] | 59 rückwärtsgewandt [auf Vergangenes gerichtet, reaktionär] | |
| showed {past-p} [rare for shown as a past-p] | 51 gezeigt | |
| unblemished {adj} [past] | 45 lupenrein [fig.] | |
| sb./sth. passed [went past] | 44 jd./etw. passierte | |
| once {adv} [at some time in the past, formerly] | 43 vormals <vorm.> | |
| chequered {adj} [Br.] [past, history, career] | 28 wechselhaft | |
| prestigious {adj} [past] | 26 glanzvoll [Vergangenheit] | |
| molten {adj} [archaic] [past-p] | 25 zerflossen | |
| hidden {adj} {past-p} [activities, past etc] | 18 verheimlicht | |
| once {adv} [at some time in the past, formerly] | 18 einstens [geh.] [früher (einmal), vor langer Zeit] | |
| [you] thrust [past tense] | 14 [du] stießest | |
| sb. spake [archaic] [spoke, past tense of speak] | 14 jd. sprach | |
| sb. wotted [archaic past tense from 'to wit'] | 14 jd. wusste | |
| relig. transfiguring {adj} {pres-p} [elevating, exalting] [also fig.: sb.'s face, the past, etc.] | 9 verklärend [auch fig.: jds. Gesicht, die Vergangenheit] | |
| quote [quote from a popular German TV sketch, used to express that everything was better in the past; literally: "There was more lametta (on the Christmas tree) in the old days."] | Früher war mehr Lametta. [Loriot, aus „Weihnachten bei Hoppenstedts“; verallgemeinert verwendet im Sinne von „Früher war alles besser.“] | |
| always {adv} [throughout a long period of the past] | immer schon | |
| always {adv} [throughout a long period of the past] | schon immer | |
| checkered {adj} [Am.] [past] | bunt schillernd [Vergangenheit] | |
| chequered {adj} [Br.] [past] | bunt schillernd [Vergangenheit] | |
| colourful {adj} [fig.] [Br.] [e.g. colourful past] | bewegt [fig.] [z. B. bewegte Vergangenheit] | |
| Methought ... [archaic or hum.] [past tense of methinks] | Mich dünkte ... [veraltet] | |
| overblown {adj} [past its prime] | am Verblühen | |
| Verbs |
| to pass [go past, go by] | 649 passieren [vorbeigehen] | |
| to pass sb./sth. [go past, leave behind] | an jdm./etw. vorbeikommen [gelangen und weitergehen oder -fahren] | |
| to pass sth. [walk by, go past] | an etw.Dat. vorbeigehen | |
| Nouns |
| stint [limited time spent swh. or spent doing a job in the past] | 77 Zeit {f} [an einem Ort, in einem Beruf verbrachte Zeit] | |
| hangover [custom etc. that survives from the past] | 47 Überbleibsel {n} [ugs.] [fig.] | |
| hangover [fig.] [something unpleasant left over from the past] | 46 Altlast {f} [fig.] [Belastendes aus der Vergangenheit] | |
| background [personal past] | 20 Vergangenheit {f} [geistige Herkunft] | |
| murkiness [of past] | 6 Dunkel {n} | |
| hist. pol. ["brown spots," i.e. hints of a Nazi past] | braune Flecken {pl} [fig.] | |
| [a politician or manager past his zenith] | Sesselkleber {m} [österr.] [schweiz.] | |
| retro [past fashions or trends] | Retro {m} {n} [meist ohne Artikel] [frühere Stilrichtungen] | |
| 2 Words: Others |
| for hours {adv} [+present perfect or past perfect] | seit Stunden | |
| for hours {adv} [+present tense or past tense] | stundenlang | |
| sb./sth. would be [future in the past] | jd./etw. würde sein | |
| that night {adv} [in the past] | in jener Nacht [geh.] | |
| 2 Words: Verbs |
| to be gone [finished, past] | vorbei sein | |
| to let sth. go [fig.] [e.g. let the past go] | etw.Akk. auf sich beruhen lassen [z. B. die Vergangenheit] | |
| to rake up sth. [past] | etw. aufwärmen [fig.] | |
