English–German

“ancestor” in German

German

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯/

Example

Ich kenne kaum noch meine Vorfahren.

I barely know my ancestors anymore.

Illustration for Vorfahr (ancestor)

How to say “ancestor” in German

“Ancestor” in German is Vorfahr.

A family line reaches backward from the present generation to the people whose lives stand earlier in it.

Full entry for Vorfahr: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with Vorfahr

In der Ahnenforschung entdeckte sie einen entfernten Vorfahr.

In genealogical research, she discovered a distant ancestor.

Tips for using Vorfahr

  • Vorfahr is masculine, and its regular plural is Vorfahren, as in von meinen Vorfahren for 'from my ancestors'.

“ancestor” in other languages