Es war einmal
[es-war-ein-mal]
phrase storytelling narratives
LanguageGerman (Germany)
Meaning- Once upon a time
- This is the classic, mandatory opening phrase for traditional fairy tales and stories for children.
Es war einmal eine kleine Prinzessin.
Once upon a time there was a little princess.
Jedes Märchen beginnt mit Es war einmal.
Every fairy tale begins with Once upon a time.
Pronunciationes-war-ein-mal
Registerneutral
Usage noteIt is used exclusively to start a story in a narrative context.
Status: AI-generated — awaiting native speaker review
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