vor
in front of, before (location) · before, prior to (time) · ago · of, about (with verbs like Angst haben, warnen)
Vor is a common German preposition meaning 'in front of', 'before', or 'ago'. It can describe location, time, and also express fear or warning with 'Angst haben vor' or 'warnen vor'.
What vor means
- in front of, before (location) — describing position relative to something else
- before, prior to (time) — describing a point in time earlier than another
- ago — with a time expression to indicate how long ago something happened
- of, about (with verbs like Angst haben, warnen) — expressing fear or warning
Heard in real German videos
Lines where vor was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Ich habe keine Angst vor euch.I'm not afraid of you.
- Eine Schlange vor dem Abfalleimer.A line in front of the trash can.
- Da habe ich Angst vor.I'm afraid of that.
Example sentences
- Das Auto steht vor dem Haus.The car is in front of the house.
- Vor dem Essen wasche ich mir die Hände.Before eating, I wash my hands.
- Ich habe vor zwei Jahren Deutsch gelernt.I learned German two years ago.
- Ich habe Angst vor Spinnen.I am afraid of spiders.
Grammar
| Case | Dative (location) or Accusative (direction) |
|---|---|
| Contraction | vor + dem = vorm, vor + das = vors (colloquial) |
Use dative for location (wo?) and accusative for direction (wohin?).
Common phrases
- vor allemabove all, especially
- vor Kurzemrecently, a short time ago
- vor Orton site, locally
- Angst haben vorto be afraid of
- warnen vorto warn about
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often confuse 'vor' with 'bevor' (conjunction) or 'seit' (for duration). Use 'vor' for a point in time ago, 'seit' for ongoing duration, and 'bevor' to connect clauses.
Don’t confuse it with
- bevor — Bevor is a conjunction meaning 'before' and introduces a subordinate clause, while vor is a preposition.
- seit — Seit means 'since' or 'for' with ongoing actions, while vor refers to a point in the past.
Questions learners ask
What case does 'vor' take?
Vor takes dative when indicating location (where?) and accusative when indicating direction (where to?).
How do you say 'ago' in German?
Use 'vor' with a time expression, e.g., 'vor zwei Jahren' (two years ago).
What is the difference between 'vor' and 'bevor'?
Vor is a preposition and needs a noun or pronoun, while bevor is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause.