This is the 13th most frequent German word.
als
"Als" in German means "as," "when," "than," or "in the role of," depending on the context.
In this sentence, 'als' is used as a subordinating conjunction introducing a time-related clause referring to a specific point in the past.
Als ich nach Hause kam, war es bereits dunkel.
When I came home, it was already dark.
Here 'als' functions as a preposition indicating the role or capacity in which someone is working or acting.
Sie arbeitet als Lehrerin.
She works as a teacher.
Here 'als' is used as a comparative conjunction following an adjective in its comparative form, indicating a comparison between two subjects.