English–German

“before” in German

German

Alsobevor · ehe · vorher

Pronunciation

IPA/foːɐ̯/

Example

Ich habe ihn vor einer Woche gesehen.

I saw him a week ago.

Illustration for vor (before)

How to say “before” in German

“Before” in German is vor.

One thing is positioned on the forward side of another, or an event lies earlier on the timeline.

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

Example sentences with vor

Er steht vor dem Spiegel und kämmt sich.

He is standing in front of the mirror and combing his hair.

Tips for using vor

  • Vor introduces a noun phrase, whereas bevor introduces a subordinate clause with a finite verb.

Other German words for “before”

Bitte schließe das Fenster, bevor du gehst.

Please close the window before you leave.

3

ehe

conjunctionbefore

Sag mir Bescheid, ehe du gehst.

Let me know before you leave.

Ich habe vorher nie davon gehört.

I had never heard of it before.

“before” in other languages