später vs erst später?

[DehaOrtasa]

title says it all, what is the difference between these two?

[Max.Em]

"Ich komme später"/"Ich komme erst später" are totally synonymous. In general, "erst später" is a bit more specific and is usually used to say "later than expected", while "später" can also mean "later than sb. else", but there's not strict division between the two.

Have a look at the long list of translations with "erst" at dict.cc: https://www.dict.cc/?s=erst

[slamRN]

DehaOrtasa - You could also look up phrases with "erst" at: https://www.linguee.de/deutsch-englisch/uebersetzung/erst.html

Don't forget to click under Beispiele on the [...] character for tons more examples.

[slamRN]

Thanks Max, I had no idea that there was a treasure of meanings with the word "erst".