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vor

/foːɐ̯/
preposition★Beginner— before, in front of
general

Indicates position in front of something or someone.

Sie steht vor dem Spiegel.

She is standing in front of the mirror.

💡

Can also indicate time (before) in certain contexts.

general

Indicates time before an event or action.

Vor dem Abendessen gehe ich spazieren.

Before dinner, I go for a walk.

💡

Often used with 'dem' to indicate a specific time.

Collocations

vor dem Hausin front of the housevor dem Abendessenbefore dinnervor der Türin front of the door

Synonyms

voranvorwärtsvorher

Antonyms

hinternachdanach

Related Phrases

vor jemandemphrase
in front of someone
vor etwasphrase
in front of something
vor dem Gesetzphrase
in the eyes of the law

💡Pro Tip

Position vs. Time

Remember that 'vor' can mean both 'in front of' (spatial) and 'before' (temporal). Context usually makes the meaning clear.

⚡Gold Rule

Combining with 'dem'

When referring to a specific time or place, 'vor' is often combined with 'dem' (e.g., 'vor dem Abendessen').

📖Word Origin

From Middle High German 'vore', from Old High German 'fora', from Proto-Germanic 'fura'.

📝Usage Notes

Can be used both spatially (position) and temporally (time). Often combined with 'dem' to indicate a specific time or place.

Word Breakdown

vor
before, in front of
root
Deutsch-Englisch Wörterbuch

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