adverb
just, exactly, just now
B1
'eben' is an adverb meaning just, exactly, or just now, used to emphasize agreement ('exactly') or to indicate a recent action ('just now'). Common in spoken German as modal particle; no special prepositions or reflexive use. It’s invariable and frequent in colloquial and formal contexts.
Examples
Der Fahrer meinte, dass er eben weggefahren war, bevor die Polizei am Ort eintraf.
The driver said that he had just driven away before the police arrived at the scene.
Er ist eben nach Hause gegangen.
He just went home a moment ago.
Das ist eben das Problem.
That's exactly the problem.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a perfectly level tabletop (eben = even/precise).
Sounds a bit like English 'even' — think 'even/precisely'.
Notes
Eben has several senses: temporal ('just/just now'), modal/contrastive ('precisely/that's the way it is'), and descriptive ('flat/even' as an adjective in compounds). Context determines the meaning.