before
I always drink coffee before breakfast.
Ich trinke immer vor dem Frühstück Kaffee.
vor (zeitlich oder örtlich)
She arrived before me.
Sie kam vor mir an.
The store is just before the traffic light.
Das Geschäft liegt direkt vor der Ampel.
Used for time (before an event) or position (in front of something).
bevor (Konjunktion)
Call me before you leave.
Ruf mich an, bevor du gehst.
Introduces a subordinate clause indicating something happens earlier in time.
bereits (Adverb)
I’ve seen that movie before.
Ich habe den Film schon einmal gesehen.
Indicates something happened or existed earlier in the past.
Kollokationen
Synonyme
Verwandte Ausdrücke
Profi-Tipp
Time vs. Position
Use 'vor' for time (e.g., 'before dinner') and position (e.g., 'before the door'). For time, it often pairs with 'dem' + dative (e.g., 'vor dem Essen').
Goldene Regel
Conjunction vs. Preposition
If 'before' introduces a full clause (subject + verb), use 'bevor' as a conjunction (e.g., 'Bevor du gehst...'). If it’s a single word or phrase, use 'vor' as a preposition (e.g., 'vor dem Kino').
Wortursprung
Old English 'befor', from 'be-' (by, near) + 'fore' (front, before).
Verwendungshinweise
In German, 'before' as a preposition often requires the dative case (e.g., 'vor dem Haus'). As a conjunction, it introduces a subordinate clause with verb-last word order.