The satirical writer Karl Valentin (1882-1948) penned the following play on words:
Die Ebene ist eben eben.
What does this mean? Let's first find the different meanings for eben.
Definition 1: (modal adverb) precisely, exactly
Eben diese Tasche suchte ich. - I was looking precisely for this bag.
As a model adverb eben can be substituted for gerade/genau in a sentence. It is usually placed before a noun and adds emphasis to the phrase that follows it.
Definition 2: (temporal adverb) just
Mein Freund ist eben angekommen. - My friend just arrived.
Definition 3: (adjective)
Die ebene Fläche. - a flat surface.
Definition 4:(modal particle)
When used as a modal particle (= flavoring particle), the meaning of eben depends on its context. It is used in colloquial German to accentuate and intensify the meaning of a sentence or phrase. Here are some examples:
So ist es eben. - That's just the way it is.
Du musst eben gehen. - You simply must go.
Used also to express agreement:
Ich glaube, wir müssen fort. - I think we have to leave.
Ja, eben. - Yes, right.
Ja, eben! - Yes, precisely/exactly!
Ich pfeife eben darauf - I couldn't care less.
die Ebene - (n.) a plain; a flat or level ground.
ebenerdig - (adj.) on the ground, at road level.
ebenfalls - (adv.) likewise
ebenso - (adv.) equally, just so
So, in answer to our question...
Die Ebene ist eben eben. - The plain is simply flat.